The Hyrulian Valhalla Saga: Side Stories
by Queenie Z
Summary: The Heroes were a brotherhood bound by destiny and a family rich in love.  A collection of less comedic, multi-genre fics set in the universe of "The Hyrulian Valhalla Saga". Some chapters contain a bit of Link x Link.
1. Welcome, Twilight

**The Hyrulian Valhalla Saga: Side Stories**  
><strong>By Queenie Z<strong>

_**Welcome, Twilight**_

The life of a new Hero was a celebrated occasion in the realm the rest called home. On the day a new incarnation was born, his predecessors would hail his coming in the world after with immense jubilation. During his life they would watch over him intently, cheering him on and offering their prayers while he made his journeys. Then, finally, they would again celebrate on the day he died, for they all knew that the death of a Hero only meant that they would finally be able to meet him in person - there was no reason to mourn the coming of a new brother into their ever-growing family.

All Heroes would be celebrated this way, but the Hero of Time had been a single exception, for his death had been a sorrowful one indeed. He had been offered to be taken to the other side, yet he had refused, instead choosing to stay behind as a phantom in order to help the next Hero in line. The ones who came before him lamented this, yet they accepted his choice and eagerly awaited his eventual homecoming. As a result, Time was not able to celebrate the birth of the Hero of Twilight with the others; yet it was he, more than anyone else, who wanted to celebrate his death.

On that fated day, he rode into the fields of their paradise at the crack of dawn. He watched the horizon anxiously, leading Epona into a slow and steady trot as nervous thoughts ran through his mind over and over again. It had been decades since he last saw the new Hero, and since they parted he had watched over the boy as he would his very own son. His heart had nearly burst with joy the day he slew Ganondorf, and he had longed ever since for the day he could tell him just how proud of him he was. Though the other Heroes were excited to see him, even they couldn't deny that it was Time who harbored the deepest affection for his successor.

He stopped Epona in her tracks and sighed, removing the heavy knight's helmet from his head. He had decided to go and meet the newcomer not in his traditional green but in something the boy would more easily recognize; the armor he had worn in death as the Hero's Shade. His empty hand moved to his forehead, brushing back wild blond bangs and wiping away the sweat on his brow. It was only a matter of time now, he knew - soon the sign the others had told him of would appear, marking the place where a new soul would awaken in their haven.

Time gasped and covered his eyes when a bright light filled the sky. A flickering green sparkle descended slowly to the ground about two miles away. The elder Hero looked upon it with awe, then broke out into a warm smile. He put his helmet back on, leaned over, and patted his horse on the neck.

"There he is," he said to Epona. "Let's go meet him, okay, girl?"

The horse whinnied happily in reply. Her rider then gave her a gentle kick and a loud whoop, cueing her to begin her gallop towards the spot where the light had landed.

* * *

><p>The Hero of Time dismounted his steed the moment he spotted a figure lying motionless on the grass. Although he knew the boy would be just fine in his head, it didn't stop his heart from skipping a beat at the sight. He ran over to him, stopping when he could get a good look at the newcomer's face.<p>

He was just as he remembered him – he had come in the form of the strong youth he had taught years before. His eyes were shut and his chest rose and fell slowly; he was asleep, waiting for someone to awaken him and welcome him to his new life after death. Time swallowed the emotion that welled up inside of him. He kneeled, taking the sleeping Hero in his arms like a father cradling his young son.

"Link…?"

His eyes flickered. Time called his name again.

"Link… come on, now." He couldn't help but smile. "You can open your eyes."

It took a moment for the newcomer's eyes to focus. He groaned, moving his head around in the other's arms. "What's… Where am I…?"

"I think you know where you are, Link."

The boy moved his head back towards the one holding him. He scanned his armor, and suddenly, an unmistakable look of recognition formed on his face.

"It's you…!"

Time nodded.

"But you're – " he frowned. "…That means… that means I'm…"

"It's alright," Time said, "you lived a good life in Hyrule. You took my place and fulfilled your role as the Hero." He shut his eyes, trying desperately not to cry in front of his beloved pupil. "…I can't tell you how proud I am."

The new Hero stared at him, his eyes large in disbelief. He then sat up on his own, reached up, and removed the other's helmet. After a moment of examining the youthful face of his predecessor, he cracked a small smile.

"I don't believe it," he muttered. "You look just like me."

Time laughed, and for a short moment his tears beaded at the corners of his eyes. He would say that after last seeing him as a monstrous, decaying shell, wouldn't he? "Believe it or not, I was human too, once."

"But your face is exactly like mine!"

"We have a lot in common, actually." He reached out and touched his successor's face affectionately. "…Would you believe me if I told you that my name was Link, too?"

"_Heeeeey_!"

The two looked over to where the boyish yell had come from and saw two others, the eldest Hero who hailed from the sky and the boy Hero who had forged the Four Sword, running towards them. When they arrived, the smaller one paused to catch his breath.

"I can't believe you, Time," he said breathlessly, "you didn't even tell us you were going to find him first…!"

The newcomer gaped at the others. "Those clothes – you're not –"

Sky flashed a big grin, kneeling with him and Time. "We're the ones who came before you. You didn't think you and Time were the only Heroes, did you?"

The bewildered Link touched Sky's hair, then his shoulder, as if making sure he was really there. "We all look alike!" He turned to the younger one. "You guys – you're not _all_ named Link, are you?"

Mini walked over and flopped onto his back, wrapping his arms around his neck like a younger sibling crawling over his big brother. "That's right! I'm Link, you're Link – we're all Link!" He chuckled happily. "We've been waiting a long time for you to get here. Time especially!"

"Time?" He looked back over to his former teacher. "Why 'Time'?"

Time looked back sheepishly. "Because I was the Hero of Time."

"I lived in the sky when I was alive," said Sky with a hand to his chest, "so you can call me Sky. And Mini – "

"It's not because I'm small!"

" – is called that because he worked together with the Minish people."

"Time, Sky, and Mini, huh…" the new Link said with a smile. "Wow… I never thought I would ever meet you all – I never even thought I'd see my teacher again…!"

Time scooted closer to him. "We'll answer all your questions soon," he said, putting a hand on his hair. "But for now… welcome home, Hero of Twilight. You did better than any of us could have hoped for."

Twilight laughed bashfully. "Thank you, everyone," he said, basking in the presence of the family he never realized he had. "Thank you."


	2. Admiration

**The Hyrulian Valhalla Saga: Side Stories**  
><strong>By Queenie Z<strong>

_**Admiration**_  
><em>Duo x Light<em>

Duo was considered one of the most friendly of the Heroes; and that was saying quite a bit, given the kind nature they all shared. Yet it wasn't always that way. When he first arrived, the Hero of Holodrum and Labrynna took a long time to adjust to his new life after death. He was soft-spoken and nervous, often feeling overwhelmed by the presence of the preceding Links, as though he could never match up to their great deeds. It was frustrating, to be honest; he had desperately wanted to befriend them, yet he simply couldn't bring himself to think of them as anything but superior to him in every way.

This, naturally, concerned the other Heroes - were they not all brothers who shared a common destiny in life? There had to be some way to reach out to the timid boy and make him feel welcome. Though they all made attempts to make him comfortable, it was Light, who had lived just before his time and who shared quite a lot in common with him, who was the most successful.

Through sharing tales of their experiences and Light's guidance and patience, Duo quickly learned not to fear his predecessor but rather to look up to him greatly. The others followed suit, and the rest, as they say, was history. Yet through all the eons he spent with his new family, he maintained his special fondness for Light, who had helped him gain the confidence he needed to enjoy his well-deserved eternal rest.

So, one day, he decided to thank the elder Hero by means of a gift. With the small box in his hands, Duo nervously fidgeted as he waited for Light to answer the door. He quickly hid his present when the door opened.

Light beamed when he saw who it was. "Morning, Duo!" He moved aside and motioned him in.

"I hope I'm not bothering you," replied Duo as he stepped inside. "I just wanted to drop something by real quick."

"No, no, you stay as long as you want. Time gave me some of his milk stash; you can help me finish it up if you want!"

"That sounds nice!" Duo dropped his gaze to the floor, however, prompting Light to tilt his head in confusion.

"Something wrong?" He cocked an eyebrow. "You look, um, off."

"Uh-uh, nothing's wrong! I just..." He brought out the tiny red box again and held it out. "...I just wanted you to have this, Light. I-It's a thank you present, for helping me get along with everybody."

The other Link stared at the box for a long time before finally taking it gingerly. "Wow... Duo, you know you didn't have to - "

Duo shook his head. "I did, though. You were always really kind to me, ever since I got here. You're..." he swallowed. "...You're my favorite person here, Light."

A spot of red appeared on Light's nose when he said the words "favorite person". Laughing bashfully, he flipped open the lid of the box and inspected its contents closely.

"Is this," he muttered, "a ring?"

"It's a Blue Joy Ring! It brings love and good luck to anyone wears it!" Duo preened. "It helped me out a bunch on my journey."

Light took out the ring and held it up to the light. It was a nice ring, but he couldn't help but snicker.

"Duo," he said, "are you _proposing _to me?"

"W-What!" The younger Hero shook his head furiously. "N-No, no, that's not it at all! I just thought you'd like it...!"

After slipping the ring onto his right hand, Light laughed, taking Duo's head in his arm and hugging it close.

"I'm joking, I'm joking! ...I really do appreciate it, though. Thanks."

Duo held his breath, wondering why on earth his heart had begun to beat so quickly. Nevertheless, he was happy - he was so happy that the person he admired the most had liked his gift. He laughed along with him, returning the one-armed embrace.

"No," he said between snickers, "thank _you_, Light. For everything."


	3. No Regrets

**The Hyrulian Valhalla Saga: Side Stories**  
><strong>By Queenie Z<strong>

_**No**** Regrets  
><strong>Twilight x Sky  
><em>

"Angry at you?" Twilight asked, his head tilted inquisitively. "Why would we be angry at you?"

The Hero from the sky looked down at his reflection in the small pond before him. He never failed to notice how similar his and Twilight's visages were, especially when they were together like this, alone and away from their other incarnations. He shut his eyes and hung his head.

"Because," he began, his voice weary, "I was the one who started all of this."

"Are you talking about that curse?"

Sky nodded. "I was selfish back then. I know I did what I had to do, but I never thought about what it would be like for the rest of you. The Heroes after me - the ones who share a piece of me - they all had to suffer because of what I did. Zelda's family, too." He drew his knees up, an unsightly action for the Hero who challenged the god of all evil and won. "You never asked to be a Hero, but I decided that for you regardless. …I'm so sorry."

"Sky, you're…" he touched his predecessor's shoulder. "You can't blame yourself! I didn't mind going through everything I did at all. None of us did!"

"I made a mistake!" Sky cried out shamefully, "I made a mistake, and because of that, you - everyone — "

He gasped a little when he felt Twilight's firm, rough hands take his face and turn it towards him. The younger Hero looked sternly at him, his eyes just as ferocious and beast-like as he had heard.

"You said it yourself," he said, "you did what you had to do. Nobody blames you for anything."

Sky turned pink and glanced downwards.

"In fact," Twilight's face softened a little, "I think the rest of us have a lot to thank you for. If you hadn't done what you did, we wouldn't have known what we could do. Without you, without Time… I wouldn't have seen Hyrule like I did. I wouldn't have met Midna, or the Princess, or my friends in the Resistance. I would have lived my whole life in Ordon without ever knowing how amazing our world was."

"Twilight…" The elder Hero was stunned. There was no malice in the other's face - no bitterness, no regret, not even after all he had suffered through. He was _grateful _for it all, even. He closed his eyes, smiled sadly, and placed his hands over Twilight's. "…If you don't regret anything, then - I don't want to, either."

Twilight smiled gently and touched his forehead to his predecessor's. "Then don't." He then leaned in, planting a small kiss on the face of the man to whom he owed so much of his life.


	4. Oh Hush Thee My Dove

**The Hyrulian Valhalla Saga: Side Stories**  
><strong>By Queenie Z<strong>

_**Oh Hush Thee My Dove**_

It had been a long day for the newcomer, who had been dubbed "Twilight" by his fellow Heroes. The others had spent the entire time showing him around their paradise, explaining how everything worked, and telling him how he could see his loved ones who had already died again. His new life was already filled to the brim with amazing discoveries and tearful reunions - yet nobody bothered to tell him that he didn't need to sleep to survive in this world. And so, out of habit, he fell asleep on a loveseat in the room that had been prepared just for him, his head smushed against the armrest rather unattractively.

Of course, none of the other Heroes were asleep - why would they be? They only slept when they felt like it, and Twilight's arrival kept them far too excited to want to fall asleep. Thus, Time was out and about, trying to think of more things he could show the successor he had so desperately wanted to meet again. When he passed by the open door to Twilight's abode, however, he became concerned. Not everybody takes death well, even brave heroes like themselves, and not everybody is prepared to adjust to a whole new life in the beyond. Perhaps, he thought, he should stop by and make sure he was feeling okay.

He peered into the open doorway, then quietly walked down the hall. When he caught sight of Twilight's sloppy, sleeping form, with his arms dangling over the armrest and his hat in a wad on the floor, Time bit his lip to suppress his laughter. As he suspected, the boy continued the proud, heroic tradition of ungraceful sleeping habits. Ah, well, he'd had a long day; he didn't have to sleep, but a trip to dreamland was probably a good break from everything nevertheless.

Overwhelmed with a strange, fatherly sort of feeling, the Hero of Time walked over to his pupil and carefully lifted him into his arms. It was a good thing the new arrival was a tad short in comparison to himself, otherwise he would have been even heavier than he already was! Summoning his strength, he carried Twilight into another room, laying him down gently on the soft bed inside.

Time smiled when he saw that he hadn't woken him up. As he turned to leave, however, he couldn't help but feel that parental part of himself urge him to stay. He hadn't expected these feelings to come so strongly, but he understood why they were there nonetheless. He had so desperately wanted to pass on his teachings; to prepare his line for the destiny they would have to inherit. Yet he never got the chance in life to teach his own children, something he had regretted for centuries afterwards. Then he was given the chance to do for his great-great-great - he lost track of how many generations separated them - grandson what he could not do for his sons. So it was only natural for him to be so protective of this child, this Hero who had so valiantly fulfilled the role he had inherited. And now that they were finally together again, here in this Heroes' paradise, he could finally, _finally _express the pride and gratitude he felt to him.

He remembered something he had done during the short time he spent with his children, and he sat beside the sleeping Twilight, placing a gloved hand on his head and stroking his hair affectionately. Had he his ocarina with him, he would have played that; but he instead had to make do with his voice, humming a lullaby he hadn't sung in eons.

Soon his hums turned into soft lyrics. "_Oh hush thee my dove,_" he muttered quietly, "_oh hush thee my sweet love. Oh hush thee my lap wing, my dear little bird._"

He could have sworn he saw a smile creep across the sleeping boy's face. Perhaps he had heard this lullaby himself as a child? Regardless, his smile made the elder Link's smile widen, and he continued his song.

"_Oh, fold your wings and seek your nest now. The berries shine on the old rowan tree; the bird is home from the hills and valleys._"

He went back to humming the rest, for the words he struggled to remember wouldn't come to him. But that did not prevent the love he felt for Twilight - his incarnation, his flesh and blood, his son in every sense of the word - from bubbling up in his chest. When he finished, he held his hand still, then leaned over and placed a small kiss on the boy's hairline.

"Sweet dreams, my child," he whispered, before finally taking his leave.


	5. Snowballing

**The Hyrulian Valhalla Saga: Side Stories**  
><strong>By Queenie Z<strong>

**_Snowballing  
><em>**_Time x Twilight_

Twilight adjusted the hood of his cloak with a bit of a sour look on his face. It wasn't that he minded the snow - it always snowed just the right amount here in their realm, after all - it was being called out for training in it. Weren't days like this supposed to be for sleeping in and drinking coffee in your pajamas by the fire and snuggling up with your feline friends? Yet here he was, meeting his teacher in their usual spot at their usual time, because when Time told him to jump, Twilight would always ask how high.

Of course, it was his own fault for respecting his predecessor so much. Though he sometimes resented the amount of work he had to do and could act a bit bratty about it, he did hold a great respect and affection for Time, probably moreso than any of the other Links. It wasn't hard for him to come to love the man who denied himself paradise just so he could watch over and guide him on his own journey, and it was that love and gratitude that kept him hanging on his teacher's every word.

He sighed, his breath forming a small white cloud. Perhaps this was how Colin once felt? A strange mixture of familial love, hero worship... and maybe the slightest bit of a crush? He shook his head, trying to rid himself of that embarrassing line of thought, when he suddenly spotted a figure in a large green coat hunched over a pile of snow.

That's odd - it was Time all right, but he didn't seem to have his sword with him. "Time?" he called out, adjusting the strap of his own blade over his shoulder, "Uh, where's your sword?"

Time turned his head and flashed his pupil a grin. "Oh, Twilight! Actually, I didn't bring it today."

Twilight frowned. "How are we supposed to train, then?"

"We're not going to be doing our usual lessons today." The senior Link turned his body and held up two fairly large snowballs, one in each hand. He smiled wickedly. "Today, I'm going to teach you the Hero's secrets of snowball fighting."

With a cocked eyebrow, Twilight stared at him. Then, he snorted. "Really, Time? _Snowball fighting_? What are we, five?"

He screeched as one of Time's snowballs pelted him right in the chest. Damn, that man had an _arm_!

"I'll have you know," said Time with all of the authority of a seasoned warrior, "that there's a delicate and nuanced art to snowball fights! I've been in more than enough of them to tell you that much!"

Twilight regained his balance and pointed at his teacher. "When the hell did you have time to play snowball fighting!" he asked incredulously, "Weren't you a knight!"

"I was. But _before_ that, I lived in a forest. A forest full of kids who never grew up." He smirked, lightly tossing the remaining snowball into the air and catching it again. "Guess what we did when winter came around?"

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me."

"Come on, Twilight. It's either this or pushups in the snow. Does that sound like any fun to you?"

Knowing he had a point, Twilight removed the strap holding his sword and sat it next to a nearby boulder, hoping it wouldn't get covered with snow during their, er, session. "All right, all right. ...So which of these 'secrets' are we going to work on first, Teacher?"

"The most important secret of all," Time replied as he threw the other snowball at his student, "_dodging_!"

The snowball hit Twilight in the head and made his warm hood slip off, leaving freezing cold snow all in his matted blond hair. He yelped again and took off running as Time laughed, gathering more snowballs and chasing after him.

* * *

><p>All in all, very little actual training went on that day. Indeed, it was simply an excuse for the two to have a little bit of fun, or, as it turned out, a <em>lot<em> of fun. Their snowball battle lasted nearly an hour, circling the snowy field of their heavenly realm and finally making its way back to where they had started. Their legs tired and their noses red and runny from the cold, the master and pupil finally collapsed to the ground for a rest.

Twilight chuckled after catching his breath. "So how come all our training sessions can't be like this, Teacher?"

"Because we need get _something _productive done once in a while!" Time inhaled deeply, exhaled, then continued. "...But I guess we could afford goofing off more often."

"Yeah. I like that idea."

Time shut his eyes. "You know... I really missed this kind of thing. Snowball fights - just playing around in the snow like a little kid."

Twilight turned his head and looked at his mentor sadly. That's right... Time had his childhood cut short, didn't he? No wonder he'd take so much joy in something like this now that he finally had the chance.

"And I'm glad you're here, Twilight," he continued with a smile, "to do it all with me."

"Huh?"

"Don't 'huh' me! You know I waited a really long time to see you again!" He reached over and ruffled Twilight's hair teasingly.

Twilight blushed and batted at his hand. "W-What, so you could throw snowballs at me and tell me to do pushups?"

"So we could be friends. Family. Equals - not just student and teacher."

It was a good thing their faces were already red from the cold, because otherwise Twilight's bashfulness would have been quite obvious. Yes, Time did care a great deal about him, didn't he? And it wasn't just as the next Hero in line - he truly saw him as someone precious to him. Knowing this was almost overwhelming to Twilight, but nevertheless, he allowed a smile to creep upon his face.

"I don't think I could ever be your equal, Teacher."

"Well, you are, and nothing you say is going to change that." Time sat up, brushing snow off of his shoulders. "Come on, let's go grab some coffee and warm up."

Twilight followed his lead, sitting up and nodding enthusiastically. True, he had said that they could never be equals, but deep down, he knew he felt the same way as Time did. Grabbing his sword from where he left it, he followed his teacher, hero, father, and friend into town.


	6. Guardian Angel

**The Hyrulian Valhalla Saga: Side Stories**  
><strong>By Queenie Z<strong>

_**Guardian Angel**_

It was something Sky liked to do for each new Hero as they settled in to their new afterlives; something he felt like he was obligated to do, as both the eldest and the most knowledgeable about this world and the ties that bound them all together. One morning, after allowing some time for the reality of their own deaths to sink in, he would come and visit the newcomer, bringing them a hearty breakfast and answering any questions they might still have over their food. Then he would take them for a walk to the gardens, where he would show them the small shrine set up in memory of Fi, the Spirit of the Master Sword. There, he would tell them her story - he owed it to her, and he owed it to these brave young boys who had inherited his title and, sometimes, the blade along with it.

Now it was the Hero known as Light's turn to hear the tale. Upon reaching the shrine, he looked it up and down, his mouth sightly agape. It wasn't that there was much to look at - there was a stone pedestal with a small wooden statue encased in glass and a simple wooden awning protecting the statue and the small area surrounding it. There were letters, flowers, and tiny offerings laying on the ground and pinned to the pillars of the awning. No, what amazed Light wasn't the the shrine itself, but the love that had been so obviously poured into it by his predecessors.

"I don't understand," he said, turning to Sky. "What does all this have to do with the Master Sword?"

"I was just about to explain that," replied the elder Hero. He walked over and carefully removed the glass case. Then, with a peculiar tenderness, he took the statuette in his hands. After looking at it for a moment, he handed it to Light.

Light took it hesitantly, inspecting it carefully. It was a simple statue of a girl embracing a blade, a blade he could easily infer was the Master Sword. "Who is this? This girl... is she someone you knew?"

"She," said Sky, placing a hand on the new Hero's shoulder, "was a friend of mine. Actually, she's a friend to all of us. Her name is Fi - she's the spirit that lives inside the Master Sword."

Shocked, Light looked back up. "The Master Sword's spirit? ...There was someone inside it this whole time?"

Sky nodded.

"Then - then how come I never met her? How come she never showed herself?"

The other Link shut his eyes and smiled sadly. "She would have if she could have. ...But she couldn't. I was the only one who ever saw her. That's why I made this; so we all could remember her, especially those of us who never met her."

Light's face fell sadly. Then, after a short moment, he perked up again. "Sky, can you tell me about her?"

"Of course I can." He sat down on the ground, motioning for his successor to join him. Once they were both seated, he began his story.

"You know that the Goddess Hylia created this place for us, right? Well, she also left behind for us a sword that could vanquish evil."

"The Master Sword."

"But it wasn't called the Master Sword back then. That part came a little later. ...Anyway, she left with that sword a spirit guide; someone who would help me when I went on my own journey. That was Fi." Sky looked upwards wistfully. "She watched over me, gave me advice, helped me out when I was stuck... she was a wonderful friend."

"So, why hasn't she ever appeared for the other Heroes? Wouldn't she have wanted to help us?"

"Honestly... I'm not sure why she never woke up again. Perhaps she simply merged with the sword completely at some point." He looked back to Light. "But I do know that she _has _helped you. She's helped all of you. With her power, she helped you all keep evil at bay for thousands and thousands of years. Do you think you could have defeated Ganon with just any other sword?"

Light shook his head. "You're right... I couldn't have." He smiled at the statue of Fi. "Do you think she knew me, though? Was she, you know... watching over me, like she was with you?"

"Without a doubt."

The younger Hero laughed. "So she's like a guardian angel, then!"

Sky nodded. "That's right! You could think of her like that, I guess."

After his finished laughing, Light reached up and pulled off his hat, holding it to his chest and bowing his head in reverence.

"Then I should pay my respects, too," he said. "...Thank you, Miss Fi, for everything. I hope you can rest in peace."

Sky wrapped a gentle arm around his shoulder. "I'm sure she appreciates it, Light." Though the first of the Heroes missed her dearly - that was one thing these many millena could never change - the thought that she still remained, silent yet ever watchful over her wielders, comforted him. As for the others, they too felt themselves grateful for their unseen guardian angel, who would continue to serve and protect their kind for eternity.


	7. The Last To Forgive

**The Hyrulian Valhalla Saga: Side Stories**  
><strong>By Queenie Z<strong>

**_The Last To Forgive_**

The Heroes' afterlife was supposed to be a place of happiness; a place of eternal peace and frivolity for the line of boys and men who had sacrificed and suffered so much in life. The dead, however, tend to carry with them the burdens and regrets of their lives, and Hyrule's chosen ones were no exception. They all carried a memory, an experience, a feeling that never quite stopped eating into their hearts, even after their deaths. The difference, however, was that now they had a family with whom they could share their hurts - and that was a lesson Light learned not long after his arrival.

Whenever a new Hero arrived in their realm, friends and family who had passed before them would cross over from their own afterlife to reunite with him. It was always a wonderful occasion, full of laughter and joyful tears, and for many of them it was even a chance to meet the family they had never met or lost at an early age. Light, too, had the opportunity to once again be embraced in the loving arms of his mother, his father, and his uncle, and he was overjoyed to see the friends he had made as a knight of Hyrule. He had been so happy to reunite with everyone - which was why the other Heroes were worried when he disappeared the day more of his old friends were to visit.

Everyone was in a bit of a panic, searching here and there and everywhere for their new brother. He wasn't in his dwelling, nor was he anywhere around town. After an hour of searching, the Links decided to split up and continue the search from there - after all, they didn't want to make Light's friends any more worried than they already were.

Time furrowed his brow and looked at the ground as he and Mini made their way to the cafe. They weren't sure they were going to find their friend there - Light was never much of a coffee person - but at this point, they were getting desperate. "I don't get it," he said. "None of us have ever just gotten up and left without telling anyone. Have they?"

Mini shook his head. "No, you're right. Even when it was just Sky and me, we'd at least let each other know where we were." He scratched his head just under the brim of his hat. "What a pain - when we find him, I'm giving him a piece of my mind!"

When they got to the entrance of the cafe, Mini opened the door and the two Heroes peered inside. As they thought - it didn't seem like Light was there. Time, however, called out his name just to be sure.

"Light?"

Suddenly, they heard a loud _thunk_. Startled, they turned their heads to the table where it came from - the small flower vase on top of it had tipped over, and the tablecloth had shifted slightly. After glancing curiously at each other, they both walked over to the table, and Mini took the opportunity to bend over and check underneath the tablecloth. What he found there was Light, rubbing his head on the spot where it had hit the underside of the table. When he met eyes with his predecessor, Light grimaced and tried to pull the cloth back down, but Time reached over and yanked it away before he could.

"Light," spat Time, "what are you _doing_?"

"We've been looking for you for an hour!" Mini grabbed the newer Link's arm and pulled him out of his hiding space. "You made everybody worried sick, you jerk!"

Light yanked his arm away and glared at the two. "You guys need to leave," he said. "I'm _fine_."

"If you were fine, you wouldn't be hiding under a table and making us look for you!" said Mini. "Honestly, what's the matter with you! Your friends are here to see you!"

"And that's exactly why you need to leave!"

The two looked at each other, utterly confused by Light's uncharacteristic unfriendliness. Then, Time frowned at his successor and knelt down to his level.

"Light," he asked, worried, "this is Marin and Tarin we're talking about. These are all your friends from Koholint; the ones you said you missed the most! You should be out there reuniting with them - they came all this way just to see you!"

Light stayed silent for a long time, his scowl never leaving his face. Then, all of the sudden, tears began to leak out of the corners of his eyes.

"Do you really think," he said quietly, "that I have any right to show my face to them? After what I _did_ to them?"

"Light..."

He gritted his teeth and buried his head into his knees. "That island was a dream! Everyone in it - they only existed because of the Wind Fish, and I was the one who ended it all!" He choked on a sob. "I'm the one... I'm the one who destroyed Koholint...!"

"Don't say that!" said Time worriedly, "You only did what you had to do to get back home. You wanted to go back to Hyrule so you could keep protecting it, right? You just - "

"Not at the expense of anyone else!" Light lifted his head, revealing the guilt he carried that no one else could even begin to imagine. "All my life, I wondered what kind of hero would destroy a whole world just to protect his own? Not a single day went by when I didn't think about Marin - about Tarin - about everyone..." He shut his eyes and sniffled. "...and some days, I wished that I had disappeared along with them."

"That's _enough_, Light!"

Light yelped as he felt Mini's small yet powerful hand strike his face. Once he gained his bearing, he stared wide-eyed at his predecessor, who glared back with all of the ferocity and authority expected of the second Legendary Hero despite his childlike stature.

"Do you realize just how stupid you sound!" He curled his hands into fists. "Think of everything you did for Hyrule! If you hadn't woken the Wind Fish, you wouldn't have done any of it - you wouldn't have joined the knights, you wouldn't have been there to guard the Triforce, and you wouldn't have saved countless lives because of it!"

Light lifted a hand to his cheek where Mini had slapped him. "But..."

"And besides," he continued, "if any of them held what you did against you, do you think they'd be here to see you right now?" He clenched his eyes shut, trying to contain his own tears. "The only person left who hasn't forgiven you is _yourself_! Don't you get it, Light! Everyone from that island is here because you loved them, and they love you! Why can't you just accept that and be _happy_ here?"

With a sharp inhale, Light tried to stifle the flood of emotions that surged through him. Yet the sobs still came - he keeled over, his tears dripping on the floor and his cries filling the empty cafe. He only went silent when he felt Time's arms around him.

"You did the right thing," said the elder Hero softly. "We all know that. _They_ know that. Now it's time for _you_to learn that."

With shaky arms, Light sat up again and tightly embraced Time, sniffling into his shoulder. "Will they... will they really forgive me, Time?"

"It's just like Mini said; they already have."

Light stayed silent for a few more moments, then smiled. "...I should go see them," he muttered. "Marin's - she's going to be angry if I keep her waiting...!"

And for the first time in years - for the first time since that fateful shipwreck - the Hero of Hyrule and Koholint could finally forgive himself.


	8. Our Two Kingdoms

**The Hyrulian Valhalla Saga: Side Stories**  
><strong>By Queenie Z<strong>

**_Our Two Kingdoms_**

Time tilted his head. "They… they made a _statue_ of me?"

"Uh-huh," said Wind with a nod. he reached his hand up in the air. "They put it right in the middle of the castle. It was _huge_!" He lowered his hand. "But it didn't really look much like you at all. The clothes were kind of the same, but not much else."

The elder Hero snickered bashfully. "Well… I didn't stick around for very long in your history. I guess they just forgot what I looked like."

"Maybe." Wind reached down to pull out a blade of grass and twirl it in his fingers. "But when I first saw it… I don't know. I felt something strange."

"Strange?" Time looked up at the clouds, thinking. "Well, sometimes, people like us will remember things from another life if we get reminded of them. Sometimes I'd look at the sky and just have this feeling that there was a whole other world up there. When I got here, I figured out it was because I was remembering Sky's life." He turned back to Wind. "Was it something like that?"

"Yeah, a little." The boy stopped fiddling with the blade of grass and frowned. "But it wasn't a feeling I liked very much. When I looked at your statue, I would always feel sad."

The Hero of Time's face dropped alongside his successor's. "…Go on."

"I just knew that, wherever you were, you were feeling - " he paused to think of the words he could use. " - disappointed. Guilty. Maybe a little bit angry, too." He finally looked Time in the face. "I mean, you - the Hero of Time had worked so hard to save Hyrule, right? You had to go through a lot, just like I did, just to see it all sink under the ocean. And thinking about how sad you must have been to watch your home be destroyed like that… it made me really sad, too."

Time swallowed, his heart sinking at how spot-on the younger Hero's feeling was. Indeed, he had watched from their heaven as his beloved country was flooded by the Goddesses - they all had watched, and they all had indeed felt those things. They felt disappointed that their efforts had seemed to be for naught - they felt guilty that they couldn't do anything to stop it - they were even angry at the Goddesses themselves for some time, for failing to send a Hero when the world had so desperately needed one. He bit his lip, remembering their time of grieving for Hyrule all too well.

"You're right," he said, "it did make me sad. It made all of us sad. None of us understood why it had to happen. But," he smiled a little, "we also knew that something good could come out of even the worst disasters."

"Something good? Like what?"

"Well, like you." Time reached over and brushed the younger Hero's bangs from his face affectionately. "We were all surprised by how much you managed to do. You sealed Ganondorf away, hopefully for good in that history. You saved the Ocean King's realm and everyone in it. You even found a brand new Hyrule with Tetra - all before you were even twenty years old!" He grinned. "And that's more than a lot of us can say about ourselves."

Wind laughed, his cheeks and nose turning pink with flattery. "Aw, it really wasn't…"

"It was, though! And that's not the only thing the flood brought." Time drew up a knee and leaned on it. "It brought your people a whole new beginning. It brought them a new kingdom; one where they could live in prosperity, without the threat of Ganondorf. And it brought another Hero to fight off the threat that _was_ there."

"You mean Engie," he said with a proud smile, "right?"

"That's right."

"When you put it that way," mused the Hero of Winds, "I guess everything turned out all right in the end, didn't it?"

Time nodded. "Even what I did for the old Hyrule wasn't all in vain. If it meant that everyone could live in peace for a few centuries longer - for even a few _days_ longer - I would have done my part all over again. And that goes for Sky and Mini, too."

"Mmm!" Wind answered joyfully, glad that the pain his predecessors felt had given way to hope - glad that he had played his part in giving them that hope. "I guess the only thing left to do now is watch New Hyrule and see where it goes from here."

"I'm sure things will only get better," Time assured. "The spirit of the Hero will make sure of that."

"Yeah! That's right!"

The two gave each other a knowing grin. Indeed, they both knew that, as long as the line of Heroes remained unbroken, both Hyrules - the old kingdom still existing in other histories and the new kingdom born of the Great Flood - would live on for a long, long time.


	9. Eternal

**The Hyrulian Valhalla Saga: Side Stories**  
><strong>By Queenie Z<strong>

_**Eternal**_

He almost couldn't believe that this would be his tenth trip to the top of the mountains and the highest point in the Heroes' realm. Pulling his cloak around his shoulders to shield himself from the frigid wind, Sky cracked a smile and continued his trek, trying to figure out exactly how long he had been doing this - eight thousand years? Nine thousand? Ten thousand, maybe? It boggled his mind to think about it, yet it also filled him with a sense of pride - after all, he had spent these long years ensuring that his kind's cycle of death and rebirth would continue without fail for all time.

When a new Hero arrived, he brought back with him the most important item in his arsenal, more vital to the destiny of their world than even the Master Sword - the Spirit of the Hero, a small yet powerful piece of his soul that had been shared by each and every Link. As the first in this long and proud line of chosen ones, it was Sky's responsibility to make sure that this piece was delivered safely back to the hands of the Goddesses, who would then use it to birth a new Hero. He would take it to the top of the highest mountain in the realm, the place where he could rendezvous with their creator gods, and leave the rest in their hands. This was Sky's final, eternal duty as the Legendary Hero, and it was a duty he was more than happy to fulfill.

He sighed, wiping his brow when he finally reached the summit, and looked down upon the rest of their heaven. It reminded him of his earthly home, the land now known as Hyrule. For a moment, he wondered what Hyrule would look like today from a loftwing's eye point of view. Perhaps he could ask one of the others when he got back - however, for now, there were more important matters to attend to, for he had to deliver the Spirit if Hyrule was to be protected from the remnants of Demise's curse.

Demise - the god of all evil, the one who was known by the other Heroes as Ganon - Sky couldn't help but think of that beast every time he made this journey. He looked to the horizon and spoke quietly to himself.

"Demise," he uttered, "I wonder if you ever grow tired of all this. All of your destruction, your bloodshed - do you ever wonder if it's all for nothing?" He smiled. "You can take on whatever name you want, but you'll always keep making the same mistakes, won't you?"

Sky held out his palm, where a small orb of bright green light manifested. He shielded his eyes from its brightness at first, but then he began to gaze upon it with affection and pride.

"You may live on forever, Demise, but so will we. Whenever you rise again, our kind will be there to stop you. Whenever your hate threatens the world we love, another Hero will be there to protect it. That's how this story has always gone, and that's how it'll go on for eternity."

He brought the orb of light close to him and shut his eyes. "I guess it's time for you to be born again, isn't it?" He then held it high into the air, offering it to the skies above and Old Ones who dwelled beyond. "May the gods take good care of you. And..."

The spirit shot into the heavens and disappeared beyond the clouds.

"...Good luck."

Satisfied with his work, he turned and began his descent down the mountain and back to his kin, and together they would await the next Hero - together they would await a new member of their family.


	10. Until This Curse Is Broken

**The Hyrulian Valhalla Saga: Side Stories**  
><strong>By Queenie Z<strong>

_**Until This Curse Is Broken**_

_"So," mused the terrible beast, running a clawed finger over one of the prongs of his trident, "the cycle begins anew, and the mighty Hero appears once again in the form of a mere boy." He chuckled, his menacing grin leaving wrinkles in his snout. "Just as I expected - the gods are ceaseless in their attempts to stop me."_

_The Hero had been puzzled by Ganon's words and frightened by his monstrous form, yet he stood tall, gripping the hilt of his sword so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "I'm here for the princess," he said, undauntedly._

_"You don't need to tell me that, boy." Ganon pointed his evil weapon at the child before him. "You've come a long way, just like all the ones who came before you... but you've yet to defeat me. Show me that you truly live up to your legacy, Hero of Legend...!"_

He would never forget that exchange as long as he lived, and he would always remember it for the eternity that came after. Brown frowned, allowing Ganon's cryptic words to replay in his mind over and over. He had not been in the Heroes' afterlife for long, and he had just begun to unravel the mysteries behind everything - behind the Triforce, behind Ganon, behind his own existence - and piece the answers together in order to finally understand the truth of the legacy he had inherited.

He flipped a page in his book, which chronicled the lives and deaths of beast called Ganon and the man he had once been, Ganondorf. He knew Ganon's evil was an ancient one - his Princess Zelda had told him as much - but he had no idea just how ancient it really was. That monster had plagued Hyrule for centuries, for millennia, and it was only through the efforts of the Heroes Brown now called his family that he could be kept at bay. He began to suspect that it was those Heroes whom Ganon spoke of during their encounter at Death Mountain.

Brown snarled slightly at a sketch of Ganon's putrid pig-like face. "You said it yourself," he muttered, "the gods won't stop until they've stopped _you_. So why do you..."

"It's because," said a voice from behind, "he's just as tenacious as the gods."

He turned - it was Light, with Duo close by. It was just as well that they were here, for the newest Hero had so many questions he wanted to ask.

"There comes a point where tenacity turns into stupidity, though," he said, glancing back at the book. On the other page was a rough drawing of Ganondorf, the form he had taken as a human. "He lost everything in his search for power; his kingship, his human form... his mind, too. Is the Triforce really worth losing all of that for?"

"For him it is," said Light, kneeling beside his successor. "Once he got a taste of its power in my time, there was no going back for him."

"Or his minions," Duo added, his arms crossed pensively. "They all want that power more than anything else - that's why they keep bringing him back. And that's why we keep having to stop him."

Brown scowled in disgust and shut the book. "So it really is just one big conspiracy for power," he said. "All the pain and suffering Ganon and his minions caused - it was all for the sake of _greed_! It's so pointless... why can't he just stay dead for good!"

"Brown," said Light, putting a hand on his shoulder, "it runs deeper than that. Yes, Ganon's motivation is greed. It always has been. But there's something else that keeps him going."

"What?"

"Revenge." Light shut his eyes sadly. "...Has Sky told you yet? About the curse?"

"Curse?" Brown's eyes went wide. "What curse?"

"Before Ganon, there was an even greater evil," explained Duo. "He was known as Demise, the god of all evil and the father of all monsters. When Sky defeated him, he placed a curse on him. On all of us."

"'An incarnation of my hatred shall ever follow your kind'," clarified Light. "...That incarnation was Ganondorf, who later became Ganon."

A sudden nausea took over Brown. He slumped in his seat and placed a hand to his forehead. "Th-That's..." he swallowed. "_Goddesses_... And there's no way to break this curse! Is Ganon going to just - just keep coming back to haunt us!"

"Brown, please!" Duo rushed over and placed a comforting hand on Brown's arms. "You don't have to be scared... we don't know how long this curse will last, but it's okay! Hyrule's going to be just fine as long as new Heroes can be born!"

"Duo's right." Light smiled. "The goddesses made sure of that. They won't break their promise. And who knows? Maybe one day, a future Link will figure out how to end the curse once and for all."

Brown stared at his predecessors. "What'll happen then?"

Light shrugged. "We're not sure. But whatever happens, Ganon's reign of terror will end for good. And that's something we should all keep praying for."

Duo nodded. "Everything's going to end up okay. Trust us."

The new Hero looked down at his lap. Then, he smiled. "I guess I have to take your word for it. Thanks, you two."

"What are big brothers for?" snickered Light, who reached over, pulled off Brown's hat, and ruffled his chestnut-colored hair.

"Wh-Who said you were my big brothers!" asked Brown, flustered and reaching for his hat back.

Duo laughed happily at their friendly antics, glad that they could cheer their little brother up. He knew that hope sprang eternal within the hearts of Heroes, and it comforted him to know that same hope would one day break the curse upon themselves and the land of Hyrule.


	11. Letters From The Living

**The Hyrulian Valhalla Saga: Side Stories**  
><strong>By Queenie Z<strong>

_**Letters From The Living**_

_**Special thanks to ironlassoftime for writing the letter featured in this story!**_

Twilight had never expected to be able to receive mail in the afterlife, yet that's exactly what happened one day. Apparently, his heavenly house had a mailbox, and apparently it was being filled by some celestial postman (he had to wonder if it was the same one he was familiar with in life), and when he checked it for the first time he was quite shocked to see at least a dozen letters addressed to him, if not more.

He looked through them, trying to sort out who they were from. Most of them were friend friends with whom he had recently reunited with. Others were from people he didn't recognize - perhaps they were fan mail, like the kind the others said they'd get. However, one letter in particular stood out from the rest - it was from Colin, whom Link had mentored and treated like a little brother from the time he was born. He was also still among the living at this time.

How in Farore's name did _this_ get here? Twilight looked it over, puzzled. He knew he could take glances into the world of the living whenever he wanted to, but he had no idea that he could get mail from there! Eager to read its contents, stepped back into the house, put the other envelopes aside, and sat down to open it.

_Dear Link,_

_You've been gone for some time now, but I want you to know I'm taking care of everyone for you, even the goats. Ruth and I even got married and we're expecting our first child! I hope you don't mind if we name him after you, if it's a boy, but neither of us can think of anything more fitting._

_We all still miss you a lot, especially Ilia, but I think you'd be proud of how the village has grown. Talo's chief, now! I think he wants to live up to his brother's success; Malo keeps sending more and more rupees back and we've been able to expand the goat fields and there's an inn for people to stay in. A lot of people want to see where the Hero of Twilight is from, after all. _

_I'm going to leave this next to the statue they've put up in the town square. I don't think it really looks much like you, to be honest. Hanch insisted that you should be in that gaudy armor, holding the sword up like the pictures of old heroes in dusty books, but I prefer to remember you smiling, warm and helpful. We had to humor him, though. He's the elder, after all, and never lets us forget it. _

_I miss you, Link. I know you're the hero of the whole world after everything you did, but you've always been a hero to me. _

_May the Goddesses watch over you into eternity. _

_Thank you, Link._

_-Colin_

Twilight laughed so hard at the thought of such a gaudy statue being erected in his honor that he barely noticed the tears that fell from his eyes and the lump that formed in his throat. However, when he finished laughing, a sudden sense of melancholy overwhelmed him. He began to miss everything he had left behind - his beloved Ordon, the goats, the horses, the chickens. He missed the smell of grass and hay, the cry of the hawks that graced the skies. But most of all, he missed the people who lived there, who had loved and raised him and who he had had helped raise. He missed Colin especially.

He buried his face in his left hand, trying not to erupt into a fit of sobbing. He was so proud of Colin, more proud than he could ever say with words - but he still missed him terribly. He wanted to apologize, to say how sorry he was for leaving him and the others so soon, and he wondered just how long he would have to wait to see him again.

He startled when he felt a hand on his head and turned around. There stood his three predecessors, Sky, Mini, and Time. Time ruffled Twilight's hair and smiled.

"Why the long face, Twilight?" he said half-teasingly.

Mini followed suit. "Come on, I'm sure Colin wouldn't have wanted you to start bawling over a letter."

Twilight turned red and quickly wiped his face. At this, Sky laughed.

"Easy, guys. He's allowed to be sentimental if he wants to be." He knelt by the chair and folded his arms over the armrest. "You miss him, don't you?"

With a slow nod, Twilight answered. "Yeah. Him and the other kids." He laughed sadly. "Well, I guess they're not kids anymore."

"It's always hard waiting for everybody to get here," said Mini, who approached him from the other side of the chair. "You'll see them all again eventually. You just have to wait 'til it's their time, that's all."

"That seems awfully morbid..."

"Twilight," said Time, "when you've been dead for as long as we have, dying stops being such a terrible thing. In fact, we celebrate it." He tilted his head. "That big party we threw when you got here wasn't for nothing, you know."

Sky nodded. "That's right. So don't think of waiting for them as being morbid; dying just means getting to move on to a better place."

Twilight thought about this for a moment. "I guess that makes sense." He smiled. "All right, I think I can wait. And with you guys around, I won't be bored in the least!"

"That's the spirit!" said Time, pushing his successor's head forward playfully. "Now, let's go see what that statue of yours looks like, huh?"

"Huh?" Twilight gulped and shook his head. "B-But that'll just be _embarrassing_!"

"But that's why we wanna see it!" said Mini with a smirk.

"Why do you guys always want to humiliate me so much!" he turned to Sky. "Sky, help me out here!"

Sky scratched his chin. "Actually... I'm a bit curious to see how it looks, too. Sorry Twilight."

Twilight threw his hands in the air in defeat. "Ugh, fine!" Though he protested the other Heroes' attempts to embarrass him, he honestly couldn't have asked for a better family to spend eternity with.


	12. Fruits of Heroism

**The Hyrulian Valhalla Saga: Side Stories**  
><strong>By Queenie Z<strong>

_**Fruits of Heroism**_

Two hundred years is far too long a time for any man to bear such pain and regret as the Hero of Time had. Such regrets had kept him bound to his world after his death, and such regrets had stripped him of his true form, leaving him a rotten husk of his former self. For ages he had wandered the space between life and death this way, until the day he could fulfill his last earthly duty and lead the next Chosen One down the path of heroism. After that, he thought, he could finally find true peace.

Even paradise, however, couldn't erase his scars completely.

Bloodstained stills of a life filled with anguish and heartache continued to flash through his mind. He remembered the brittle grey bark of the dead Great Deku tree. He remembered the sting of a dodongo's flame. He remembered the dying words of a brave castle guard, the laughing face of Ganondorf, the sight of a Hyrule that hadn't been his. He remembered searching for his precious friend and finding a world plagued by the shadow of doom instead. He remembered the sound of swords and shields clanging, a pulse of agony in his right eye, a promise left to his young sons that was left unfulfilled. He remembered it all, every trauma and every moment of darkness in his life —

— and then, he woke up.

He found himself gasping for air with his hand pressed tightly against his eye. After regaining his bearings, he looked around the dark room in his post-mortem abode - had he really fallen asleep on the couch again? He sighed deeply, but was soon startled again by a voice from the kitchen.

"Time?" Sky poked his head through the kitchen's entryway. "Is everything all right?"

Time took a moment to ensure that his heart didn't jump out of his chest before answering. "I'm - I'm fine. How come you're still here, Sky?"

The elder Hero laughed nervously and approached him, crouching beside the couch. "Well, I've just been a little worried about you, that's all. When you dozed off, I figured I'd stick around a little longer and make sure you were okay." He frowned. "…And I guess it's a good thing I did. You're sweating bullets."

Time touched his forehead - just as he said, it was slick with sweat. Realizing that he couldn't simply dismiss the situation, he lowered his gaze to his lap.

"You had a nightmare, didn't you?" asked Sky.

"I had thought that we wouldn't get nightmares in heaven."

"That's not the case, unfortunately." He sat beside his successor on the couch, drawing up one knee and resting his arm on it. "Nightmares are caused by the baggage we bring from when we were alive; they won't go away until we let that baggage go."

Looking to the ceiling, Time responded quietly. "Our baggage, huh? Heh… I guess I brought a lot of it, then."

"We all did, Time. It's part of being the Hero."

"Then," he said with a pained edge to his voice, "why don't the Goddesses just… just take it away from us? If they want us to be happy here, why do they let us keep feeling this way…?"

Sky turned in his seat, took the younger Link in his arms, and pulled him close. Time let out a small, surprised noise at the sudden contact, which made Sky smile before he spoke again.

"Because getting rid of those feelings is something only _you_ can do," he said warmly. "You've spent far too long dwelling on the horrors you've seen, on all the things you regret. Now's your chance to leave all that behind and enjoy the good that came out your suffering. Now you can finally reap the fruits of being the Hero."

At that, Time held his breath for a moment - then released it, relaxing into the first Hero's embrace. He had forgotten what it was like to be held like this; to be comforted by someone who cared. Maybe, he thought, just maybe, with friends like these, with _family_ like these, he could learn to enjoy the reward he had been so graciously given by the gods: an eternity of happiness.

He shut his eyes and smiled. "Mmm. …I can try."

Sky laughed a little. "I have no doubt you can do it," he said. "You do have all the time in the world, after all."

Time joined in his laughter. "Good point!"

"Now," said Sky, "try to get some rest. Some _real_ rest." He laid a cheek on Time's head. "You deserve it."

"I thought we didn't actually _need_ sleep here…"

"Not physically," he answered, "but never underestimate what a good night's rest can do for the soul."

Sinking into Sky's chest, Time nodded sleepily. "Of course _you_ would say something like that, Sky…"

And for once in his long, painful existence, the Hero of Time dreamt pure and peaceful dreams.


	13. Trial of Dark Waters

**The Hyrulian Valhalla Saga: Side Stories**  
><strong>By Queenie Z<strong>

_**Trial of Dark Waters**_

"I don't like this," declared Mini as he stepped over a stray branch in his path. "I don't like this one bit."

"Neither do I," replied Time, keeping his gaze straight ahead as they traveled through the forest foliage. His brow was furrowed and his expression was intense, possibly more so than it had been in centuries. He continued. "But what else are we supposed to do? This kind of thing is exactly what we're supposed to check out."

"But it sounds so - so - " the smaller Hero searched for the right word, " - unbelievable. Nothing bad's happened in this place since, well, ever!" He looked back at Time. "And now, after thousands and thousands of years, we're supposed to believe something suspicious is hiding in the realm? I'm telling you guys, something seems fishy about this whole thing!"

"Mini," said Sky, who was leading the group of three, as he looked over his shoulder, "are you calling Farore's emissary a liar?"

Mini shook his head furiously. "No! No, of course not! I'm just…" He sighed. "I just have this feeling that there's something we don't know."

"If there is, we'll find out when we reach the anomaly." Sky turned back to the path ahead, brushing away twigs and leaves as he walked. "I know it sounds too far-fetched to be true - this place has been protected from evil since I first got here. It's hard to believe that anything could get in that shouldn't."

"But barriers can always be broken," said Time, "and there's always a chance. That's why we had a contingency plan set up in the first place."

Mini stood up straight and nodded. He knew the other two were right. Eons ago, the eldest three Heroes had formed a pact - should something evil ever manage to enter their world, their blessed afterlife, they would be the ones to deal with the threat. They felt it their duty, as the most senior and experienced, to take on the burden of battle in place of their younger brothers; after all, had they not suffered enough already during their lives, fighting battles they didn't necessarily choose to fight? And while the chances of such an event were quite slim, it wasn't impossible, and that was a reality they were forced to face that day, when an emissary of the goddess Farore told Sky of a "well of dark magic" that had appeared in the woods.

Suddenly, Sky stopped, motioning for the others to do the same. "There," he said, pointing to an ominous, steaming pool of black water where there had once been a crisp, cool spring. "That has to be it."

Mini cringed at the sight. "What _is_that!" he asked.

"Dark magic, I'm guessing. Look," he brushed some foliage away to reveal more of the black pool, "it's covered the entire spring!"

The Hero of Time stared at the spring, his eyes narrowed in deep thought. "This isn't good," he muttered, "I've seen this kind of magic before, somewhere…"

"Really?" asked Mini, "Where?"

Sky took the opportunity to approach the shore of the spring and crouch down. Then, he reached out his hand, brushing the dark waters with his fingertips. At this, Time's eyes widened.

"Sky, be careful! That's — "

He was interrupted by a black mass rising out of the water, which formed itself into a hand and grabbed Sky's arm. He cried out, stumbling to his bottom and trying to yank his arm away from the phantom's tight grip. When another mass appeared, this time in the shape of a familiar human head, the other two Heroes drew their blades.

"Let him go!" cried Mini, pointing his sword at the shadow.

The shadow, however, merely turned its head and grinned, its face a dark and twisted replica of Sky's. Then, with a single tug, he pulled the eldest Hero under the black water.

"_Sky_!"

The other two rushed to the shore, but by then it was too late - no sign of Sky or his dark doppelganger remained. Time growled, then stepped into the water, fully intending to cut the thing in two for taking his friend. When nothing happened, however, he sulked, turning to Mini.

"I don't see them," he said.

With a roar, Mini tossed his blade to the ground. "Goddesses _dammit _all!" He looked at Time with a snarl. "We need to find him, Time!"

"Mini, he's _not here_!" Time sheathed his sword and returned to the shore. "And I don't think he's going to be anywhere in the forest, either. We just… we'll just have to trust that he can defeat his shadow self."

"But, Time — "

"Trust me, Mini! I've fought this kind of thing before!" He put his hands on the smaller Link's shoulders. "It fights one-on-one, and it only exists to battle its true self. If that really is Sky's shadow self, then Sky has to be the one to defeat him. Understand?"

Mini looked down, disheartened. "So we just have to trust him, huh?"

"That's right."

The two took another glance at the spring, the water's ripples distorting their reflections in its pitch-black surface.

* * *

><p>As the light from the world above grew dimmer, the darkness from beneath enveloped Sky, choking him as he tried to swim away. But the mass of black magic won out, throwing the Hero like a rag doll to the ground.<p>

But - to the ground of _where_, exactly? He lifted his head and looked around; it was the woods where he had just been, only devoid of the light and color he was accustomed to. That fiend had taken him to a mirror world! With a grunt, he stood and reached for his sword, only to find it and his shield missing. His pouch was also gone, leaving him with only the clothes on his back and his own courage.

He curled his hands into fists. How cowardly of it to steal its opponent's weapons before a battle! But then a thought hit him - what if the phantom Link wasn't looking for a fight at all? All the stories he had heard about these shadows implied that they relished a fight where the odds were equal, so to leave their opponent disarmed was a sign that they had something else planned. He called out to the black spring in front of him.

"It's not a fight you want, is it?" he asked. "Answer me!"

Out of the water crawled the shadow Link, who chuckled darkly as he made his presence known. He lifted his head and opened his eyes, revealing two bright red orbs which glimmered menacingly. As Sky thought, he too was unarmed, and as soon as he reached the shore, his expression changed into something surprisingly - and eerily - friendly looking.

"Of course not," said the shadow, "why would I want to fight a man who's already dead? There's no glory in that."

"Then what _do _you want?" Sky stood undaunted. "What's your business here? How did you get into our realm in the first place!"

"Easy, Chosen One, calm down." The dark Link placed a hand on his hip. "My business isn't with your world or the other Heroes. My business is with you and you alone."

Sky sighed in relief - if he was telling the truth, then the others were safe. Then, he narrowed his eyes. "So what business _do _you have with me, phantom?"

"Believe it or not," he replied, "I'm here as a friend." He walked over and, to Sky's shock and chagrin, put an arm around his shoulders. "I'm here to offer you a way out."

"A way out of _what_?"

"Everything."

The Hero snarled at his shadow. "Quit being cryptic. What do mean, 'everything'?"

"Exactly that. Everything." He shook Sky in a mockingly playful way. "Your existence. Your destiny. This cycle of death and rebirth that you started so many years ago."

"What?" Sky raised his eyebrow. "End the cycle? That's ridiculous. Hyrule needs Heroes, that's why — "

"Oh, cut the act, Link!" said the phantom, rolling his eyes in irritation and shoving Sky closer to the water. "You _know _why it needs to end. See for yourself!"

Suddenly, the reflection in the water's black surface morphed into a series of images; images that the eldest Hero knew quite well from his many millennia of existence.

A child staring into the cold, dead eyes of the statue that was once his best friend.

A lad of barely sixteen running desperately from the beasts who want his blood.

A knight howling in pain as blood oozes from the hole in his head that used to be his eye.

An innocent youth looking down at the horrors of a history gone mad and the suffering of a kingdom.

A man who can't look into the sunset without yearning for someone he had long since lost.

A young boy trying to hold his innards in as his spirit companion shrieks in horror.

An old man gazing out into the ocean, wondering if he should disappear like the world he helped to destroy.

A warrior, whole yet fractured, trying desperately to forget the companions who only exist in his memories.

A seafarer weeping over the family he had to leave behind for the call of destiny.

And finally, himself, staring back at him with a horror and sadness that had spent centuries festering within him.

He lowered his head and clenched his eyes shut. "Is this what you brought me here for?" he asked, his voice shaky, "To show me things I've already spent eons feeling guilt about!"

"To show you why you need to _end this here._" The dark Link grabbed the back of his head and shoved it closer to the water. "Look at it!" he cried angrily, "That's the face of the Legendary Hero, the piece of you who has had to live this misery over and over and _over _again!" He lowered his voice to a whisper. "Can't you hear him crying out to you?"

The reflection in the water began to move its mouth. "No more," it whimpered weakly, "please, no more… I never asked for this… I never asked to be the Hero!" It began to scream, bringing its shaking hands to its face, weeping tears of dark red blood. "**I don't want to feel this pain anymore!**"

Sky shut his eyes again and turned his head, gritting his teeth. "Stop it!" he cried, "_Stop it_!"

"Face it," said the phantom, "you _want_ this to end. You don't want to put any more young men through this. You don't want to put _yourself _through this." He smiled. "The gods don't have control over your soul - you do. You could easily end this. It really is just a matter of having the guts to do so."

For a moment - a split second - he considered the dark Link's words. He knew he could stop the pain and misery he and his fellow Heroes had to go through. But then —

He glanced back at the water to see a face he had never seen before. The face of another young man garbed in green. This time, however, the face was smiling, his eyes radiating with the courage of those who had come before him. _It's all right_, the boy's face seemed to say, _I'll be fine._

And that was when the first Hero knew that the future - Hyrule's future - was worth the sacrifice.

He looked over his shoulder at the phantom. "You may know the Hero's pain," he said, grabbing the hand that held his head and prying it away, "but do you know about his happiness as well?"

The dark Link was taken aback by his sudden change in demeanor. Once his hand was thrown off, he stood, backing away from the confident Hero who now stood tall.

"The reason we do what we do," he said, holding out his right hand to the side, "is to bring about a happiness greater than you can even imagine. Not just for us, but for everyone." A light glowed in his hand, then grew, forming the shape of the blade of evil's bane, the Master Sword. "We fight, we suffer, we die - but that only makes that happiness so much sweeter. And if we don't fight for it," he looked over the blade of light, "who will?"

He calmly walked over to the fearful shadow, backing him into a tree. Then, with skill and grace worthy of his title, he plunged his blade through his dark doppelganger, causing it to cry out in pain and vanish. Once the sword, too, had vanished, Sky looked at his empty hand and laughed a little to himself.

"Funny," he muttered, "Time had made these things seem so hard."

A shimmering noise from behind caused Sky to turn. A beacon of light now replaced the darkness; a beacon which signaled to him that he could return home. With a renewed sense of pride - a renewed sense of purpose - he waded into the water, allowing the light to envelop and whisk him away.

* * *

><p>Mini and Time were startled by a splash and a loud gasp coming from the spring. When they saw Sky's head emerge from the water, they quickly rushed over to pull him out.<p>

"Sky!" cried Mini, dragging his left arm, "Sky, are you okay!"

The elder Hero nodded, coughing when he tried to speak.

"Easy," said Time, who had his right arm, "you can tell us once you've caught your breath."

They sat Sky down on the shore. Then, once he finished coughing, he looked out to the spring, which was now crystal clear once again. He grinned.

"What? What are you smiling about?" Mini frowned. "You almost died! Again!"

"The gods just keep thinking of new ways to test us, don't they?"

"What are you talking about!"

"You don't mean," said Time with an incredulous look on his face, "that this wasn't a real threat at all?"

Sky shook his head. "It was a trial. For me." He smiled at his companions. "A reminder of why we do what we do. I wouldn't be surprised if Farore Herself had sent this."

Mini snorted. "That's an awful lot of trouble She went through just to give you a pep talk!"

"Either way," said Time, stretching his arms, "it looks like we're done here; everything seems to be back to normal." He offered Sky a hand. "Let's go - I need to tell Twilight that training isn't cancelled today after all!"

Laughing, Sky took the offered hand and used it to stand up. "He's not going to like that, Time!"

As the three walked home, a mischievous little fairy - the emissary of Farore - chuckled to herself, then flew away to tell her mistress that Hylia's champion was, indeed, still unbreakable in spirit.


	14. Better Off

**The Hyrulian Valhalla Saga: Side Stories**  
><strong>By Queenie Z<strong>

_**Better Off  
><strong>__Time x Twilight_

He ran his hand over the old scroll, his face falling sadly as he read it. He stopped his fingers near the end, over the crude drawing of the boy in green, the Hero of Time, rising away from the land he had fought so hard to save. Of course, the ancient text was not entirely accurate, but the general course of the story was similar enough to engulf Time in a wave of melancholy.

He hung his head and sighed. It had been so long since the era of the Great Flood that swallowed ancient Hyrule. Centuries had passed, and the wounds from those days had mostly healed, but that didn't stop the old Hero from wondering sometimes. Could he have done anything to stop that catastrophe; to save his beloved kingdom and everyone in it? Would things have changed if he hadn't let the princess return him to his original time? Despite his mastery of time travel, even he could not fathom what would have happened if he had changed that one small event.

With a sigh and a sad smile, he shook his head. "Look at me," he muttered to himself, "still dwelling on the past, even in heaven. How pathetic am I?"

"Pretty pathetic, if you're _still _moping about it."

Time gasped a little and turned. There stood Twilight, his arms crossed and an irritated frown on his face. Once he realized it was only his successor, he sighed again and looked away, embarrassed.

"I wouldn't say I was _moping_," he said, "just… dwelling."

"Aren't they the same thing?" Twilight leaned in. "We've been over this, Time; you, me, Sky, and Mini. There was nothing you could have done to stop the flood. You should have forgiven yourself by now!"

"I _have_," replied Time sternly. "It's not that I feel guilty anymore, I just… I just wonder sometimes if things would be different had I not been sent home."

Twilight tilted his head, placing his hands on his hips. "Would it really have made a difference?"

"It might have!" He looked back up at the younger Hero. "The time stream wouldn't have split, for one, and maybe my posterity would have been able to stop Ganon instead of leaving the land to be flooded." He shut his eyes and shook his head. "Sometimes, I think that maybe things would have been better off if I never left. That's all."

This didn't seem to relieve Twilight at all - in fact, he grew even more agitated as his teacher explained his reasoning. He lowered his hands, curling them both into fists, and scowled. "Time… would things _really _have been better off? Do you really think that!"

"Sometimes, yes."

Without warning, Twilight let out a growl and struck his predecessor across the face with his hand. His face was red with anger, and he tried to answer Time's bewildered stare with words; however, he could only lower his hand and turn away.

"…You're so _stupid _sometimes," he muttered before storming off, slamming the door on the way out.

"Twilight!" cried Time, trying to stop him. Then, after suddenly realizing the unsaid implications of his words, he froze, his eyes widening.

"Goddesses," he cursed, opening the door and rushing out to find Twilight. Hopefully, he thought, he could repair the damage he had done.

* * *

><p>Twilight gritted his teeth and slammed his fist against the trunk of a tree, his fingernails digging into the worn leather of his gloves. How could Time have said those things! It wasn't even that the man was still mulling over the past - he was want to do that, after all - but how could he really think that things would have been better off without the split in time?<p>

He slumped his shoulders and hung his head. Then, he leaned against the tree, sliding down until he was sitting on the ground. "Come on," he told himself, "pull yourself together! It's not like he…" he paused, biting his lip. "…It's not like he doesn't want you…"

Although he kept telling himself this, he still couldn't help but feel hurt. If Time had not done what he did, if the time stream had not forked the way it did, everything would have changed. He thought that perhaps the Great Flood could have been prevented; he _knew_, however, that he himself would never have existed. He, the Hero of the Twilight Realm, the descendent of the Hero of Time who had been forged carefully from bloodlines and circumstances, would never have even been born. How could Time think things would be better that way! Hadn't he stayed on the mortal plane just to be by his side and guide him? Didn't he _love_ him?

He turned his head, trying and failing to not let these thoughts get to him. Why was he so upset, anyway? It wasn't like he particularly _cared _what Time thought. …Well, okay, maybe he did a little. Or maybe a lot. But it wasn't like it was going to break his heart or anything. At least, he hoped it wouldn't.

He heard footsteps in the grass and looked over. Well, of course Time would come running over to try and make him feel better with half-baked pep talks and all those things he normally did when he was upset. But it wasn't going to work - not this time, thought Twilight to himself. Why should he listen to the ancestor who doesn't even want him around, anyway?

"There you are."

Twilight almost looked up at him, but stopped himself, looking at the ground instead. "Let me guess. You want to know why I got so angry, right? Because you're too stupid to figure it out on your own?"

"I know why you're angry." Time's gaze dropped. "…And I understand."

"Do you now?"

"I know now how stupid I've been, thinking that things would have been better off if they were different." He shook his head. "They wouldn't have been. Nothing would have been better off if you hadn't been around, Twilight."

Twilight's breath caught in his throat. He hadn't expected Time to understand at all how he felt.

"Actually, if you want the truth," Time put on a labored smile, "it would have been a bigger mistake to not go back. If I hadn't helped create a history where you could be born, where I could have watched you grow, where I could have been together with you in death… I don't think I could have ever ended up as happy as I am now."

Against his better judgment, Twilight finally looked up at his teacher. "And you… you really mean that?"

Time nodded. "I do. You're my pride and joy - you're one of the people I'm the most proud of. …You practically mean everything to me. I'd never want to hurt you - I'm so sorry that I did."

Twilight's face softened and his cheeks turned pink. Wiping his face to keep Time from seeing his feelings, he spoke. "It's fine. I forgive you, I guess."

With a relieved sigh, Time laughed nervously. "Good. I almost thought you wouldn't for a second." He held his arms out wide. "So, how about it?"

"How about what?"

"A hug!"

Twilight turned a deeper red. "N-No, Time, I'm not giving you a hug!"

"Oh, come on, it's okay! One hug isn't going to kill you - you're already dead, after all!"

"But — " Twilight looked around. "But what if someone sees us?"

"There's nobody around to see us." He grinned. "Now get over here!"

Hesitantly, Twilight stood, then after a short silence, he embraced him, burying his beet red face in his tunic. Time returned the gesture, rubbing his pupil's hair affectionately as a warm smile crept across his face.

"Don't ever think I don't care about you," he said, "not for a single moment."

"…Mmm." Despite his embarrassment, Twilight found himself feeling safe and warm in his embrace, like he had felt in the arms of his father as a child and those of his wife as a grown man. He relaxed a little. "I won't."

"Good." He let go of him, taking his hands instead. "Here, I'll make you lunch to make up for it. How's that sound?"

"S-Since when did you learn how to cook?"

Time laughed. "Does that matter? I'm trying to do something nice." He began dragging his descendent back towards his house. "I got the best pumpkin soup recipe from Sky! You're going to love it."

"Fine," he replied, sighing in defeat and allowing himself to be dragged along, "whatever." After all, it wasn't as if he was excited to eat his cooking or anything.

Well, okay. Maybe he was a _little_.


	15. Wanderer

**The Hyrulian Valhalla Saga: Side Stories**  
><strong>By Queenie Z<strong>

_**Wanderer**_

He tossed two dry branches into the fire, watching as it sparked and flared up in response. Then, with a small, sad smile, Brown drew up a knee and looked up at the starry night sky of his new heaven; a heaven where he should have felt rewarded for his deeds and hardships in life. He knew this place was full of friends who had been waiting for him for a long time, as were his heroic predecessors who now welcomed him as a brother. So, he thought to himself, why was he out here stargazing alone when he should have been spending time with them?

Brown sighed, then began to whistle an old tune, as he had always done whenever he felt glum. He honestly hadn't the faintest idea why he had snuck out of the welcoming party the other Heroes had prepared for him; why he suddenly became overwhelmed with the need to escape into the open wilderness. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate their efforts or their companionship - he simply had no idea how to respond to such an outpouring of affection.

Yes, he thought, that was probably the reason. He was always a bit of a lonely soul, a warrior without a real home or family. It was loneliness he was accustomed to, and it was loneliness he found himself retreating to.

He laughed bitterly at his realization. "You're strange, Link," he said to himself, "you get everything you ever wanted handed to you on a silver platter by the gods... but, here you are, making campfires and talking to no one but yourself." He drew up his other knee, hugging them close to his chest. "Just like old times."

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew the flame aside, nearly putting it out and startling Brown in the process. He grabbed onto his hat and looked up, crying out in surprise when a large, red bird descended not too far away from where he sat. When the creature landed, its rider, the Hero who had introduced himself as Sky, hopped off, his relief showing itself in his face.

"There you are," he said, walking over to Brown. "Have you been here this whole time? We've been looking everywhere for you!"

Brown nodded slowly. "Sorry."

Sky put his hands on his hips and gave the younger Link a confused look. "So how come you disappeared like that? Did you not like the party?"

"No, no, it's not that." He hung his head in shame. "I just... got overwhelmed, I guess."

The elder Hero's expression softened into a concerned frown. "I'm sorry," he said, "we didn't mean to go overboard or anything."

"It's not _you_ guys," Brown said, "it's me. I'm not - gosh, how do I even put this? - I'm not used to being treated like this."

"Like what?"

"Like... family."

Sitting down beside him, Sky crossed his legs. "...Go on."

Brown thought over what to say next, his brow furrowed. "Well, you know my story already," he began. "I was left on the doorstep of an orphanage for reasons I still don't know; the place did their best, but there were so many kids left orphans by Ganon's armies there that we basically had to raise ourselves." He scratched the back of his neck. "And running away didn't change things very much - well, I met Impa and started this whole Hero business, but in the end I was still a lonely wanderer without a real family."

Sky nodded. "But you were taken in by Impa and the princess, right?"

"Well, yes, and I'm in their debt for that. But..." Brown's face darkened considerably. "...I'd always thought I'd get a second chance to have a family; to settle down and have kids of my own. But when Ganon's leftover minions began hunting me, I - I knew I couldn't. No matter how much I wanted to."

"Because your children would have shared your blood," said Sky, "and they would have been hunted, too."

"Exactly! And I couldn't put them - I couldn't put all of Hyrule in danger like that!" He realized he was raising his voice and stopped himself, continuing only after a deep breath. "I thought that keeping Ganon from reviving would be worth the loneliness. ...Sometimes, though, I'm not sure if it was."

"In that case," said Sky, placing a hand on Brown's shoulder, "you should enjoy your time here. Think about it - you'll get to meet your family here! And..." he smiled, "...you've got a brand new family in us."

Brown cast his glance to the side. "I know." He grinned slightly, bashful. "I just have to get used to the idea first."

"You'll have until the end of time to do that." He stood, offering his hand to the younger Hero. "How about we start by bringing the party out here, if this is where you're more comfortable?"

Brown thought over this for a moment, then took Sky's hand and used it to stand up. "I'd like that," he said, looking up. "'Sides, the stars are really pretty tonight."

"Oh, they're like that every night here!" laughed Sky, taking Brown back over to his bird. "We'll take my loftwing; they don't usually fly at night, but here he'll give us a _great_ look at the stars!"

The newest Link's face brightened at the prospect. "We're gonna go _flying_! All right!"

He eagerly climbed onto the great bird's back, situating himself behind his newfound brother. Then, with a few flaps of its giant wings, the loftwing took to the skies.


	16. An Answered Prayer

**The Hyrulian Valhalla Saga: Side Stories**  
><strong>By Queenie Z<strong>

_**An Answered Prayer**_

Just as the Hero of Winds had grown up with the legend of the Hero of Time, so too did New Hyrule's Hero grow up with stories of the Hero of Winds. Most of those stories had come from Niko, who had the tendency to embellish the truth somewhat, so he had no idea which parts had actually happened, but that only served to fuel his curiosity when he finally got to meet his predecessor in the afterlife. Engie had so many questions he wanted to ask, both about the elder Hero's life and his own role in their eternal battle against evil.

Naturally, Wind was more than eager to answer his questions. Together they took a long stroll beside the train tracks that had appeared upon Engie's arrival, discussing legends and lore, distinguishing fact from fiction, and sharing their own stories of hardship and victory. By this time, the sun was already halfway down, though they were in no hurry to return to their homes, for as long as they didn't need sleep, they could continue forging their brotherly bond.

Engie held his arms out, balancing himself on a rail as they walked. "So then Tetra became the queen," he said, "and you established the royal guard. ...How come you didn't take a political position, too? I mean, you helped her found the kingdom."

Wind shrugged. "I wasn't interested," he answered. "Tetra's a natural born leader; I just wanted to keep helping people."

"Yeah, I understand," said Engie, wobbling a little before hopping off of the rail. "I never liked the thought of going into politics - I always preferred serving to leading, you know?"

Wind chuckled and nodded his head. "That's just the nature of the Legendary Hero," he said, "we're all like that."

"I bet you got to protect a lot of people," said Engie with a warm smile.

"I did. Helping protect the kingdom we built for everybody was the most fulfilling thing I ever did."

"Even more than being the Hero of Winds?"

"I always thought of it as a continuation of my role as the Hero; it was all one in the same to me." Wind looked out towards the sun setting in the horizon. "...But as fulfilling as it was, it was also, well..." he paused, thinking, then continued, "...it was scary, a little bit."

Engie raised an eyebrow. "After everything you went through as a kid, how could you possibly have been scared as an adult?"

"You become scared of different things as an adult," said Wind, looking back at him with a more serious expression, "you know that. And what scared me for most of my life was knowing that I wouldn't be around to protect New Hyrule forever."

The younger Hero lowered his eyes in shame. "...Yeah, that makes sense."

"I'd come from an era where the people prayed for a Hero and never got one," said Wind. "At the time, it made no sense - if the old gods had protected Ancient Hyrule, why did They destroy it instead of sending someone to save it?"

"Were you afraid the same thing would happen to New Hyrule one day?"

Wind stayed silent a moment longer, then continued in a hushed voice, his eyes closed and his face far more serious than what would have suited his young form. "...Ganondorf had told me that our gods had abandoned us," he said, "I was afraid that he had been right all along."

"But he was wrong, wasn't he?" Engie said. "The gods and the spirits all protected us; They helped Zelda and I defeat Malladus."

"That's right," said Wind, finally smiling again, "and you're proof of that." He placed a hand on Engie's shoulder. "I prayed for a long time that our kingdom would be kept safe, and when I died, I knew I could leave it behind in peace."

"What made you realize that?"

Wind grinned. "You could call it a sign from the heavens, I guess. It's complicated." He patted the younger Link's shoulder. "But left the world knowing that you'd come to take my place. So, in a sense... you're the answer to the prayer I've had all my life."

Engie turned a bright pink and snickered bashfully. "You make it sound so special...!"

"Hey, it _is_ special!" said Wind, "Being the Hero's a great honor! You ought to be proud."

"But all I wanted to do was help the princess out! I didn't think it'd be this whole big deal..."

Wind wrapped an arm around his successor's shoulders and laughed. "Trust me, none of us did."

"Okay," laughed Engie sheepishly, "I'll take your word for it." He looked back up at Wind brightly. "So what all did you do as the guard captain? I mean, other than protecting people."

"Well, I spent a lot of time training new recruits. ...Oh! You know Russell, the captain of your time?"

"Yeah, what about him?"

"He was my apprentice."

"What!? No way! He never told me that...!"

Together, the elder Hero and the answer to his prayers continued their conversation long into the night and far past the train tracks' end.


	17. Ignorance is Bliss

**The Hyrulian Valhalla Saga: Side Stories**  
><strong>By Queenie Z<strong>

_**Ignorance is Bliss**_

A loud racket resonated throughout Sky's house one evening, thought it was only to be expected when six of our Heroes managed to squeeze under one roof for a sleepover of sorts. Although the eldest two, Sky and Mini, had elected to move upstairs when room ran out on the lower floor, they could still hear the noisy banter of their successors from below; and while no one in the house really needed sleep, Mini was still aggravated by all the ruckus.

He sighed in irritation as he covered his ears with his hands. "They're so _annoying_," he muttered, looking towards Sky. "Can't you go down and make them be quiet!?"

Sky laughed nervously, sitting cross-legged on his bed with a pillow hugged close to his chest. "Come on, Mini, they're having fun. Don't be such a spoilsport; it's not often that this many of us can spend the night together."

"But still!" Mini huffed and crossed his arms. "We're their seniors, right? They'd listen to us if we told them to stop. At least, they _should_."

"And as their seniors," said Sky with a small smile, "we're responsible for making this place somewhere they can be happy, don't you think?" He stood up and walked towards an armoire, digging out a pair of earmuffs he normally used during the winter, and tossing them to Mini. "Let them have their fun - use these if it bothers you so much."

Startled slightly, Mini fumbled to catch them. He let out another, disappointed sigh. "Fine," he said, beginning to place the earmuffs over his head. He stopped, however, when the Heroes downstairs mentioned him by name.

"I can't believe Mini and Sky are missing out on this," said Light's voice. "Those muffins were delicious!"

"We know, Light," chuckled Wind, "you ate six of them."

"My point exactly!"

"Hold on, looks like there's a few more left," Twilight said with mischief in his voice. "But not for long! Down the hatch you go!"

"Don't you dare take that muffin, Twilight!" cried Time, "I barely got to have any before you three took them all!"

"Too bad! First come, first serve, Time!"

Wind let out a hearty laugh. "Is that any way to treat your senior, Twilight?" he asked mockingly.

"Senior schmenior. You know what he puts me through during training - I deserve this muffin!"

"Well you did agree to do it," said Light. "And besides, he really didn't get to have very many muffins - it's only fair."

"Yeah!" sneered Time. "As my successor and student, you're obligated to honor me. Now hand it over!"

"You want this muffin so bad!?" growled Twilight, though it was more of a playful growl than an angry one. "Then here you go, _Teacher_!"

Time let out a muffled yelp as the others dissolved into raucous laughter. Presumably, Twilight had stuffed the muffin into Time's mouth himself; and quite forcibly, at that.

"Hey, we're your successors too!" giggled Wind. "That means we have to pay our dues too, right?"

"Of course!" snickered Light. "Let us pay tribute to our most highly esteemed predecessor...!"

Time's yelling was interrupted by another few muffins being stuffed in his gob. Though he was being ruthlessly assaulted by delicious baked goodness, he took it rather well in the end, his laughter joining with the others' once he had the chance to breathe again. Sky's shoulders shook as he chortled at the scene, and even Mini couldn't help but let out a few chuckles.

"What'd I tell you, Mini?" asked Sky. "They're having a blast!"

"Haha, yeah," replied the smaller Hero. "You can tell they really do look up to Time as much as they tease him."

"Mmm."

The two stayed silent, listening to Time as he scolded his successors in jest. However, Mini stopped paying attention after a sort while; he seemed to be preoccupied with something, and Sky noticed.

"Mini? What's up?"

"...You really think it's better for them this way?"

Sky blinked. "Better what way?"

"That they don't know."

Knowing immediately what he was talking about, and surprised that he'd breach the subject at a time like this, Sky stared at the boy for a moment, then lowered his head. He closed his eyes. "...I do," he finally answered. "If Time knew about his other death - if he knew he had failed and that Light had to pick up the pieces... it'd destroy him." He opened his eyes again, glancing off to the side. "It'd destroy all of them, to know that one of us could lose."

He crossed his arms over his pillow and rested his head on them. A sad expression creeped across his features. "I think they're entitled to know the truth," he mumbled.

"I know they are, Mini. It kills me having to lie to them." Sky looked up again, his face stern. "But the gods granted Time mercy by letting him forget everything. We have no right to take that away from him. If lying to everyone is what we have to do to ensure their happiness here, then..."

"It's okay, Sky," said Mini, "I understand. I just... I just wish it didn't have to be this way."

Sky looked towards the ceiling. "Maybe one day, when Demise's curse on us is broken, when Hyrule no longer needs Heroes to fight... maybe then we'll be able to tell them everything."

"Who knows when that'll be," Mini grumbled, rolling over under the covers of his futon. "I'm going to bed - night, Sky."

"Night."

But Sky, despite his characteristic sleepiness, couldn't bring himself to go to bed. He looked out the window and towards the inky blackness of the heavens, where he knew his creator goddesses were watching over his every move. He sighed, resting his head against the window, and silently asked Them if he was really doing the right thing.


	18. A Team of One

**The Hyrulian Valhalla Saga: Side Stories**  
><strong>By Queenie Z<strong>

_**A Team of One**_

Green reached up from the ground where he lay, catching a falling red leaf in his fingers. He kept it aloft, blocking the sun from his eyes for a moment before bringing it down to examine it closer. After a moment of idle thought, he addressed his companions nearby.

"Hey," he muttered, "you guys ever think about the old days?"

From his perch on a boulder, Red turned and tilted his head. "You mean our journey?"

"No," laughed Green, "I know we think about _those _days all the time. I meant the days after our journey."

"'Course we do," answered Blue, yawning as he stretched his limbs out across the grass opposite of Green. "Well, I know we do when we're merged, at least."

"I remember them pretty fondly, actually," added Vio, who sat at the base of a tree with colored leaves scattered all around him. "Traveling all over the land as a hero for hire, helping people in need with whatever their problems were..."

"For hire?" scoffed Blue, "Hardly - we ended up doing things for free more often than not, because _someone _was being a goody-two-shoes and refusing payment." He shot a glare at Green, who waved his off with his free hand.

"You're just as responsible for that sense of justice as I am," he said.

"But the Princess helped us out in return for our service," said Red, "so we were never really in need of much money."

Vio chuckled. "Yeah... we definitely would have starved without her, huh?"

Green nodded. "Mmhmm." He face fell slightly as he continued. "...We owe Zelda a lot, don't we? She was our friend throughout everything - even when we felt like we were going crazy."

His usual cheerful demeanor quickly dampening, Red looked to his feet. "Things really weren't ever the same after the journey, were they?" he said sadly. "No one else knows what it's like to have their soul split apart and put back together - to feel like one person one day and four the next."

"We'd been separate for so long," said Blue with narrowed eyes, "that being just 'Link' again was tough. You can't simply go back to the way things were after something like that."

"Missing you guys didn't help much either," added Vio with a tenderness typically reserved for more emotional counterparts. "We had each other all that time, and then we just... didn't."

"I wouldn't say that," said Red, "We talked to each other in our head all the time, remember?"

Blue shut his eyes. "But that's totally different!" he huffed, "And, besides... you can't talk to yourself without sounding like a crazy person."

"I think that was the worst part," Green said. "We couldn't share how we felt with anyone else. They would have called us insane." He lowered his voice. "...Even we called ourselves insane, sometimes."

Red smiled softly. "Zelda never called us insane." He looked towards the others. "Remember what she told us? Every day of our life, we were always working together, whether we were one person or four."

Green, too, smiled. "That's right," he said warmly, "and working together was what helped us get through the rough spots."

Vio turned to Green. "Yeah. You kept us on the path of truth," he looked to the other two, "Blue kept the fire in our hearts from burning out, and Red - well, he kept our innocence, even after we'd seen and done so much."

"I guess that means you're the one who kept our ass out of trouble," snickered Blue.

"You could say that," replied Vio.

Red laughed. "So all in all, it wasn't that bad being just 'Link', was it?"

"I guess not." Green reached over his head. "...But I'm glad we can talk like this again, too."

Blue rolled over onto his stomach. "What's that hand for?"

"Come on, you know exactly what it's for."

Turning slightly pink, Blue reluctantly reached for the outstretched hand and took it.

"Hey, what about me?" cried Red when he saw that they were holding hands. He leaped off his boulder and layed down beside them, setting his hand on top of Blue's. "Come on, Vio, you too!"

Vio shook his head in amusement, but joined them anyway, a smile gracing his lips as he joined hands with his personas. "You guys, I swear..."

And there they remained, basking in each other's company; for no other Hero could ever truly know such a strange yet amazing comradery.


	19. Reunion

**The Hyrulian Valhalla Saga: Side Stories**  
><strong>By Queenie Z<strong>

_**Reunion**_

Stretching out the hair tie with his fingers, Time reached back and fastened a stubby blond ponytail. He then sighed a little, anxiously brushing through his bangs with his fingertips. He never was an expert at grooming himself, though that fact had never really bothered him until today, when he had resolved after some nervous hesitation to finally meet the parents he never had in life.

He turned away from the mirror and towards the clothes he'd laid out on his bed. They were both nice choices - handsome, but not too formal - and it was hard to decide whether the outfit with the burgundy vest or the grey button-up jacket would leave a better first impression. Of course, what he wore shouldn't matter - it hadn't mattered when he'd reunited with his own children - but he had literally no idea how his parents would react to him, having never known their personalities or even their names.

He lowered his head to his palm and shook it in frustration. How ironic, he thought, that after all he'd been through and all he'd seen the one thing that still unnerved him was seeing his mother and father for the first time.

"What's taking so long, Time?"

Time lifted his head towards the doorway, behind which stood Sky, holding a familiar set of green clothing in his arms. "Oh, Sky..." he said, scratching the back of his head. "I-It's nothing, I just can't decide what I want to wear, that's all."

"Then wear the green," said Sky as he let himself in and handed his successor his trademark outfit, "they'll want to see you as the Hero you've become."

Looking down at the clothes pensively, Time slowly took them. "Are you sure, Sky?"

The elder Hero nodded. "They're proud of you - they're proud of everything you've done. Trust me."

"You mean, you've met them?"

"I'm the one who told them about our line and how you were a part of it." Sky chuckled bashfully. "Mini said I'd be friendly enough to lay the heavy news on them."

Time unfolded the tunic, sliding it on over the long underwear he'd already been wearing. "So you know who they are."

"Would you like me to tell you about them?"

He nodded. "...Maybe I'll be less nervous if I know a little more about them. I'm not like you guys - I don't even have any memories of them, and I don't know what to expect."

"I understand, Time." Sky sat down on the bed. "...Your parents were nobles who lived in Castle Town during the time of the Civil War. They were good and generous people who used their status and wealth to help others." He smiled warmly. "Your father was a boisterous man who made many friends and loved to laugh. He was loyal to his country - almost to a fault - and enlisted to fight once the fighting began."

Time froze, his face falling at Sky's explanation. "...He died in battle," he said quietly, "didn't he?"

"He died trying to secure a future for his wife and unborn son."

The younger Hero bit his lip, looking down at his feet. "...And my mother?"

Sky continued. "Your mother was graceful and warm, but she also possessed a hidden courage and strength of will." He tilted his head at Time. "She showed that courage when she took you to the forest. After waiting until the last possible moment for her husband to return, she threw herself into the line of fire to take you somewhere safe."

Time remained silent, shutting his eyes and attempting to swallow back his emotions. At this, Sky stood again, took the hat from Time's hands, and placed it on his head.

"...They loved you so much that they gave their lives for you," he said softly, "they're going to accept you no matter what."

The forlorn Link opened his eyes slightly. "...Even after I've kept them waiting for so long? It's been over two centuries, Sky, and I - "

"Time, it's okay," interrupted Sky, placing his hands on the other's shoulder, "they've been looking forward to meeting you since the day they got here." He grinned and lowered his hands. "Now get your boots and gloves on - let's not keep them waiting any longer, all right?"

Time swallowed, then grinned back timidly. "All right," he said, walking towards his cabinet drawers and fishing around for his gloves. After slipping them on, he turned back to his elder. "You've been helping me out every step of the way since I got here," he said. "Thank you."

"Save it," laughed Sky, taking Time's boots from their spot by the door and tossing them gently at him, "we need to get going!"

Time stumbled to catch the boots. "Okay, okay, I'll hurry," he chuckled as he pulled his left boot over his foot, readier than ever to accept the family he never had back into his life, thanks to his newest friend.


	20. The Greater Good

**The Hyrulian Valhalla Saga: Side Stories**  
><strong>By Queenie Z<strong>

_**The Greater Good**_

Twilight blinked when he saw the face of the visitor at his doorstep. "Light? Hey, what's up?"

The younger Hero had a grave look on his face and an old book in his arms. "…There's something I've gotta show you, Twilight."

Confused, Twilight moved to let him in. "Oh, uh, of course… what is it?"

"That's the thing," said Light, coming inside and closing the door behind him, "I don't know. I don't know what it is or what it means, but — " He sighed, kneeling down beside a low table and laying down his book - a green tome which Twilight recognized as the Book of Mudora. "…I can't explain it; you'll just have to see for yourself."

With a frown, Twilight knelt beside Light as the latter opened the book of histories and prophecies, flipping backwards to find the right pages. "I never had the time to read this all the way through in life," explained Light, "and it took me a while to catch on. Take a look at these few pages."

He stopped at the beginning of a section detailing the dark thief Ganondorf's ravaging of Hyrule in his search for the Triforce. Twilight knew this story already - though it never occurred in his time, he was well-versed enough in Hyrule's alternate histories that he could almost recite it by heart - so he skimmed the passages that detailed Ganondorf's betrayal of the king, his breaking into the Sacred Realm, and his subsequent sealing. When he finished, he shook his head.

"I don't see what you're talking about," he said.

"It's what isn't there that bothers me." Light placed his finger on the book. "It says that the ancient sages sealed away Ganondorf when he claimed the Triforce… but the Hero of Time isn't mentioned once."

Twilight placed his hand on his chin. "Well, that isn't _that_odd," he said. "History tends to get our stories wrong, after all."

"But when you think about the other histories, it doesn't make sense!" Light used his fingers to demonstrate on the table what he was talking about. "There are three parallel histories that we know of - mine, yours, and Wind's - and in mine and Wind's, Ganondorf took the Triforce and was sealed in the Sacred Realm." He looked back at Twilight with a serious expression. "So how come Time was remembered in Wind's history, but not in mine?"

The elder Hero's eyes widened a little. "That's…"

"And that brings us back to what we've been wondering all along," continued Light, "how Ganondorf got the whole Triforce in the first place."

"Hold on," said Twilight, holding up his hand, "Sky and Mini said that was a fluke in time, like how Ganondorf got his Triforce of Power in my time."

Light's face darkened. "All I'm saying," he said, "is that there's too much we don't know about my era. Nothing adds up, and Sky and Mini's explanation raises more questions than it does answers."

"Are you calling them _liars_?"

"No! That's not what I'm…" Light stopped himself, looked away, then spoke again. "…Look, I came to you with this because you know Time better than all of us, and he's the missing piece in all of this. I thought you could help me figure it out."

Twilight shook his head again. "There's nothing he's told me about Ganondorf's sealing that he hasn't told you. I can't help you with this one. Sorry."

"That's okay," sighed Light as he shut the book and stood with it. "I'll see if Sashasrahla knows anything."

As Light walked back towards the door, Twilight turned his gaze downward. When a sudden, disturbing thought hit him, he inhaled sharply. "…Do you think… something happened with Time that we don't know about?"

Light stopped. "…I can't say." He opened the door and walked out without another word.

Once he knew he was alone, Twilight gulped. The more he thought about what didn't add up, the more he began to dread the possibilities - first, that Sky and Mini would ever deliberately mislead the rest of them, and second, that Time may have been involved in changing yet another history without even knowing it.

He stood, his fingernails anxiously digging into his palms, and left his house to see Sky.

* * *

><p>"We need to talk?" asked Sky, immediately growing concerned at Twilight's seriousness. "Why? Is something wrong?"<p>

"I don't know," said the younger Link curtly as he looked off to his right. "That's why I'm here."

"Tell me about it," Sky replied, "I'm listening."

"It's…" Twilight bit his lip. "…It's about Time. I think."

"Is he all right? What happened to him?"

Twilight shot a distrustful glare at his predecessor. "That's what I was going to ask _you_." He tensed up as he continued. "…Light showed me the Book of Mudora. Time's not even so much as mentioned in that history, even though everything until Ganondorf's sealing happened exactly like in the others."

Sky's eyes grew big for a short moment. He quickly regained his composure, however, and put a hand on Twilight's shoulder with a small smile. "…Even I can't answer that for sure, Twilight. All I know is that a fluke in the timestream — "

"Fluke in the timestream my _ass_!" cried Twilight as he swatted away his hand, "You're telling me it was just a 'fluke' that Time was forgotten? That Ganondorf just magically ended up with all three pieces of the Triforce? Maybe I'm not as smart as you about this, but even I know that's a lousy excuse!"

"Twilight, I don't know what to tell you, I — "

"You can start by telling the _truth_!" Twilight pointed at him angrily. "You and Mini have been hiding things from Time and the rest of us, haven't you!?"

Sky frowned. "You're losing your temper over nothing. Calm down."

Suddenly, Twilight grabbed a hold of Sky's tunic by the collar, nearly lifting him off of the ground and giving him a good shake.

"If something happened to Time," he growled, "and you've been keeping it from him…" He shook him again. "How could you do that to him!? Don't you think he's been through enough!?"

Gripping Twilight's wrist firmly, Sky narrowed his eyes, an anger he seldom expressed silently forming behind them. "You need to back off, Twilight," he spat, "I mean it."

"_Shut up_! He's my _family_, and so help me if you've been lying to him all these years — "

A hand shot up, took Twilight by the chin, and spun him around, pinning him hard to the wall and causing the younger Hero to cry out in pain. Sky held him in place with another hand pressed to his sternum, and he stared into his face with the same intensity that had once struck fear into the hearts of demons.

"I'm responsible for the well-being of every single one of you," he snarled, "and I will do whatever it takes to protect it. Do you _want_ to taint this place, Twilight!? Do you _want _to tarnish the happiness you've earned in death!? Do you _want _to give Time one more reason to regret everything!?"

Twilight's eyes widened in terror, saying nothing as Sky continued.

"I love Time just as much as you do. He's just as much my family as he is yours. And that's _exactly_ why you need to drop the subject and never speak of it again!" He tightened his grip on Twilight's face. "_Do you understand_!?"

Nodding furiously, Twilight found himself regretting his questioning. If the truth was something so terrible that the normally gentle, loving Sky was willing to protect it this ferociously… perhaps things really would be worse if he continued down that rabbit hole.

At this, Sky's expression softened into one of sadness. He gently let go of his successor, then pulled him into a warm embrace. "…I'm sorry," he said. "I just want to keep this a place of happiness. You all deserve that much." He paused shortly. "…It's for the greater good."

Speechless, confused, and terrified at the thought of a secret that could change everything, Twilight returned his embrace with shaky arms, burying his face in Sky's chest. "Yeah," he mumbled. "For the greater good."

Maybe some questions are better left unasked, he thought, and some secrets are better left untold.


	21. No Promise Left Unfulfilled

**The Hyrulian Valhalla Saga: Side Stories**  
><strong>By Queenie Z<strong>

_**No Promise Left Unfulfilled**_

Wind sighed, covering his eyes with his forearm as he laid lazily at the end of the pier facing the vast blue oceans of the world beyond. As much as he'd wanted to relax under the sun's rays and forget about the unpleasantness of that morning, they were just too damn _bright_. Eventually, he grumbled something under his breath and sat up, kicking his small feet across the water's surface and lowering his head with a frown.

"Guess I shouldn't have let things go like that, huh?" he mused to himself. "I'm such an idiot sometimes."

A familiar pair of laughing voices caught Wind's attention, and he glanced over his shoulder to see Time animatedly telling some kind of story to Sky as they walked along the shoreline, fishing poles in hand. The two were carrying on like they were having a great time - a great time which Wind didn't feel the need to spoil with his own rotten mood. He turned back to the water, pretending he hadn't heard them.

"Hey, Time," said Sky's voice, just barely audible over the sound of the waves, "isn't that Wind over there?"

"You're right," replied Time before he began jogging over towards the pier. "Hey, Wind! Sky and I were just about to do some fishing over here, want to - "

The smaller Hero turned once more, a little flustered that he'd been noticed after all. His forlorn expression made Time freeze in his tracks.

"...Wind?" He approached his successor with a worried look, Sky following suit. "What's wrong?"

Sky hunched over, sharing Time's concern. "Did something happen?"

Casting glances at his two elders, Wind sighed. He knew by now that his fellow Heroes weren't the kind to take no for an answer over things like this. "...Yeah, sort of. Me and Sis kinda got into it a little."

"You mean, you had a fight." Time sat down at Wind's left, laying his fishing rod down behind him. "Was it really bad enough to put you in such a bad mood?"

The younger Link hung his head again. "Yeah... but, really, it was my fault. I said I'd spend the day with her and Grandma. Mom and Dad were gonna be there too." He rubbed his hand through his bangs and gripped his hair in frustration. "But I forgot and showed up really late. She was so mad at me. I don't blame her for getting angry, but..."

Sky tilted his head. "But...?"

"...She said that I'd always done this," Wind said weakly, "that I'd always made her wait for me, ever since we were young." He drew his knees up with a bitter smile. "And, well... she's right."

"Wind," said Time, "if you're talking about when you went to look for New Hyrule, you know that's - "

With a slight glare, Wind turned to his elder. "I was gone for _six years_, Time," he said. "She spent six years waiting for me to come back, and all I did was send her letters with vague promises about coming home soon! By the time I got back, she was as old as I was when I left!" He clenched his eyes shut. "She was so angry... What kind of person does that to his baby sister? And his grandmother, too!?"

Sky placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Wind, don't," he said in a calming voice. "She forgave you for that a long time ago."

"That doesn't mean what I did was right."

"But you did it for the right reasons." The eldest Hero smiled. "You remember what you said when you first stepped foot on the new continent, don't you?"

"'Sis is going to love this'," quoted Time. He snickered a little. "Remember that?"

Wind's eyes widened slightly. "How did you - "

"We were watching you, of course!" Time ruffled his successor's hair, causing him to wince.

"Oh," he muttered, "r-right, of course you were..."

"Wasn't your whole journey about your family in the first place?" continued Sky, "About finding a better place for them - a prosperous land where Aryll could grow up safe and happy?"

The younger Link paused for a moment, then slowly nodded.

"And in the end, you found that land," Time said, lowering his hand. "You came back for her, and you took her there, just like you said you would. You fulfilled every last one of your promises - and that's what makes you such a good big brother."

Smiling sheepishly, Wind rubbed the spot where Time had his hand. "...Yeah," he said, "I guess... I didn't always do everything right, but when you put it that way, I did the best I could, didn't I?"

Sky nodded. "And Aryll knows that. She's a good kid; she'll definitely apologize for saying those things to you." He nudged the smaller Hero a little. "Just as long as _you_ apologize for being a scatter-brain, too."

Wind laughed. "Don't worry, I was going to anyway." He stood, stretched his arms, then ran off back towards the shore.

"Whoa, where are you hurrying off to?" asked Time.

"To get some hibiscus flowers," Wind called back, "they're her favorite! Thanks, you guys!" And with that, he scurried off.

Chuckling to himself, Sky sat down, allowing his bare feet to enter the water. "He really is sweet," he said, adjusting the lure on his fishing hook a bit.

"They both are," added Time, who checked his own line before casting it into the sea. "I'm a little jealous - I always wanted a sibling I could argue with, haha."

"Well, you argue plenty with Twilight," Sky said with a teasing shrug, "that ought to make up for it, right?"

Time scoffed, shoved Sky playfully, then returned his attention to his line.


	22. Trial of the Deep Abyss

**The Hyrulian Valhalla Saga: Side Stories**  
><strong>By Queenie Z<strong>

_**Trial of the Deep Abyss**_

In the cultures of Hyrule and its surrounding areas, the New Year coincided with the coming of spring. As the harsh snows of winter gave way to fresh green grass and newborn sprouts, so too did the past give way to the future. And this did not change for our Heroes in the world beyond - seasons still changed and years still went by, giving them plenty of reasons to continue their New Year's traditions even in death.

Each Hero had their own way of celebrating the season, by themselves as well as with their loved ones. Twilight, whose love for nature and all of its creatures was nearly endless, welcomed each New Year by embarking on a hike through the fields and forests of paradise. Sometimes he would share this trip with family members; such as his daughter, who had inherited his affection for Farore's green earth. Other times he'd go with a friend or one of his fellow Heroes. However, this year, he'd decided to make the journey alone, wanting to more deeply drink in the sights, sounds, and smells of spring.

From his resting spot at the base of a tall oak tree, Twilight opened his eyes and looked up. He smiled at the tiny leaves basking in the glow of the early morning sun - by summer, he knew, they would grow fuller, sprouting acorns and covering the tree in a lush shade of green. He thought that perhaps he could come back then and take a nice, long nap under its shade.

His thoughts were interrupted, however, by a cold breeze blowing from behind him. He startled a little, having not expected such chilly wind on this mild spring day. Then, he spotted something fluttering in the breeze out of the corner of his eye. He reached over and grabbed it, inspecting it curiously. When he realized what it was, his face fell in confusion; it was a withered oak leaf, dry to the touch and rotted almost completely black.

Dead leaves on the second day of spring? He likely would have dismissed it as a leftover from the previous winter, if not for the sudden gust of wind blowing around even more blackened leaves. Clutching his hat to keep it from blowing off of his head, he stood, gaping at the sight.

"What the hell?" he muttered to himself as he watched the leaves being scattered about. He turned around towards the source of the ominous wind - a huge, gaping hole emitting a malevolent black smoke. Just like the leaves, the plant life around the hole had decayed and turned dark. Knowing that this was clearly the work of some sinister magic, Twilight narrowed his eyes and reached habitually for the sword he hadn't thought to bring.

When his hand met dead air, he scoffed; of course this presence would wait until he was unarmed to show itself. How could something like this even show up in their perfect paradise, which had seen no evil since the beginning of time? He knew he had to alert the others, but he had no intention of doing so without having at least _some_ idea of what this threat was.

His eyes narrowed in determination, he approached the hole, being careful not to fall inside. He peered into the opening, then recoiled in disgust with his hand clenched over his nose and mouth. The smoke rising from the hole's entrance smelled rancid, like rotted wood and pungent mildew. However, beyond that, he found nothing - nothing but a seemingly endless black abyss leading Goddess knows where. Having only reaffirmed his suspicions of the dark nature of this phenomenon, he decided to get away from it as fast as he could and come back later, armed, with the others.

"Going somewhere?"

Twilight froze in his tracks when he saw a figure standing right behind him. It was the spitting image of himself, cloaked entirely in shadow save for two glowing, menacing red eyes. But before he had time to process what he was seeing, the shadow grinned, reaching forward with both arms and shoving him into the hole. As he tumbled down into the endless void, the light from the world above grew dimmer, until, finally, it disappeared.

* * *

><p>The putrid stench of mold and rot finally startled him awake. Though he knew his eyes were open, the darkness surrounding him was barely any different from when he had them closed. Panicked and disoriented, he looked around frantically. However, he quickly realized something horrifying: his feet weren't touching the ground, his wrists were bound, and his arms felt as though they were about to tear off of his torso.<p>

His blood ran cold - he'd been chained at the wrists and left hanging like a slab of meat...!

"Rise and shine, cowboy!"

Twilight gasped as his shadow's taunting echoed in the darkness. Then, the creature's red eyes began to glow, illuminating faintly the outline of his features and his smug smile. Enraged, the Hero snarled at him.

"_You_," he growled, "What did you do to me!? How did you even _get_ here!?"

The shadow frowned. "How rude," he said, "don't you want to know who I am before you start screaming at me?"

"I know exactly who you are!" said Twilight. "The others told me about creatures like you - you're a shadow, a copy of me created from evil magic!" He grunted, struggling in his bonds. "If it's a fight you're lookin' for, bring it on! I'll beat you with my bare hands if I have to...!"

The shadow Link was merely amused by his outburst, however. He rested his chin on his fist. "Yeah," he snickered, "good luck with that." He tilted his head, his smile growing unsettlingly wider. "Although, having you chained up like this, acting all wild and angry... it's kind of kinky, don't you think?"

This only infuriated Twilight more. "You smug _bastard_," he swore, "who the hell do you think you - "

He was silenced when a cold hand grabbed his jaw, squeezing it painfully and digging its fingernails into his skin. The phantom leaned forward, putting his face uncomfortably close to his counterpart's.

"I was sent here to have a heart-to-heart talk with you," he said in a sultry voice, "but I think I'd like to _get to know you_ a little bit better beforehand...!"

Before he could make another lecherous move, however, Twilight wrenched his head out of the dark Link's grip. Then, he bit him, sinking his teeth into the other's hand as hard as he could. The shadow cried out in pain before yanking his hand away, hissing in pain.

"Don't even _try_ touching me again, you pervert!"

The creature glared contemptuously at Twilight, flexing his wounded hand. "Pervert? ..._Please_. At least I have the guts to take the initiative."

"What are you talking about!?"

"I'm talking," he said, balling his hand into a tight fist, "about how you're nothing but an _incompetent, spineless cretin_...!"

He threw a punch at Twilight's face, which landed squarely on the side of his head. Then, while he was disoriented, the shadow Link struck him again and again; once in the chest, once in the gut, and once to the other side of his face. Though punches could not bruise a dead man, they could still cause pain and leave the Hero in a breathless stupor.

"At least _I'm_ not the one who stands idly by as he watches people leave him," said the dark Link angrily as he grabbed a hold on his counterpart's bangs. "At least _I'm_ not the one who's let everyone he's ever loved suffer or walk away...!"

Twilight groaned, wincing. "That's..."

"You've done nothing but drive everyone away since the moment you crawled out of your mother's womb and killed her! Your father grieved for her, but you didn't do a damn thing for him until the day he died!" He shook Twilight's head around violently. "You did _nothing_ to stop the kids from getting taken, you did _nothing_ to keep Ilia from forgetting about you, and you did _nothing_ while you watched your princess sacrifice her very _life_!"

Twilight grunted as his shadow let go of his hair, letting his head slump pathetically against his chest.

"...And most of all," said the phantom quietly, "you let Midna walk away from you forever. The one friend who was always with you during that hell you went through - you didn't even have the guts to say 'goodbye' to her." He narrowed his eyes. "It's a wonder you ever managed to keep anyone around... not that you _deserved_ it."

Like knives, the words tore open old wounds. Indeed, Twilight was more than acquainted with loss and helplessness. The grief for his parents, the guilt of his friends' suffering, and the regret of his partner's departure loomed over him like a dark cloud for years, for decades... and now, here in paradise, this _thing_ was trying to break him with all of his past burdens.

Regaining his bearings, Twilight tightened his hands into fists. He would not let that happen - he would not let his shadow win...!

"You think you've got me all figured out," he said, a proud smile creeping across his face, "don't you?"

The dark Link noticed his sudden change in demeanor, and his eyes widened slightly in surprise.

"Well, you're right about one thing," continued Twilight, "I lost a lot of people, and I made a hell of a lot of mistakes. But so what? Everybody does. And now that everything's been said and done, now that everyone's together again... it doesn't even matter anymore." His lifted his gaze, his eyes burning with proof of his line's courage. "If you're trying to break me, you should just give up - you can't break an unbreakable spirit...!"

In an instant, Twilight's form changed, becoming the divine wolf that made him into a legend. He slipped through his bonds, landed on all fours, and growled ferociously at his shadow. Shocked by this sudden change of events, the dark Link cowered, shooting the beast a dirty look. Finally, Twilight pounced, clawing the phantom's arms and sinking his teeth into his neck. When he finally relented, the dark Link cried out in anguish, clutching at the bloodless wound in his neck and disappear into the darkness. When he saw no sign of his opponent, Twilight reverted to his human form. Breathing heavily, he reached down and rubbed his right wrist where his chains had been.

"...I should've guessed it sooner," he mused with a small, breathless laugh. "This happened to Sky, too, didn't it?"

"_Twiiiiiliiiiiiiight_!"

The sound of his nickname startled him out of his thoughts, and he turned, facing upwards. To his amazement, the chains were gone, and sunlight now shone into the pit. Moreover, he could just about make out three faces - Sky, Mini, and Time were all peering inside, and they all smiled in relief when they saw their friend.

"Thank the goddesses," said Sky, "he was in here along."

"Geez, Twilight, how'd you wind up in there?" said Mini with a hint of playful derision in his voice. "I thought you were smarter than that!"

Twilight laughed. "It's a long story. How'd you guys find me, anyway?"

"We followed the marks you left on the trees," said Time, who then quickly turned to Sky with an impatient glare. "You've got your whip with you, right? What are you waiting for!?"

"R-Right, I've got it," said Sky nervously as he fished his whip out of his pouch. Then, he called down to Twilight. "Catch!"

He flicked the whip down with just enough force as to allow Twilight to catch the end with both hands. Then, the younger Hero positioned one of his feet on the cavern's wall. "Okay, I'm ready!"

Mini and Time assisted Sky as he pulled back on the whip, acting as an anchor while Twilight scaled the wall of the pit. In no time, he surfaced, and Time lent him an eager hand to help him up.

"You never came back for lunch," said Time sternly. "We've been looking for you for nearly two hours - we were worried sick!"

"That's right," said Mini, "I thought Time was gonna burst into tears if we didn't find you soon."

Time shot him an irritated glare. "I was _not_."

"You guys," said Sky somewhat sheepishly, "let's just be glad that Twilight's safe and sound." He turned to Twilight. "Right?"

"Right," said Twilight, scratching his head, "sorry I made y'all worry so much." He glanced back at the pit - the dark magic and decay were gone, and all that was left from his experience was an ordinary cave. And yet...

"Twilight?" asked Mini, "What's up?"

"Oh! Uh, I'll tell you later." He began to walk away, calling back to his friends as he did so. "I'm gonna go visit my folks - maybe Midna, too, if she's around. Tell the others I'm okay, will you?"

The other Heroes looked to each other in confusion as Twilight's form disappeared into the woods. Then, Time sighed, resting his hand on his hip with a slightly perturbed look.

"I don't know what I'm going to do with him," he said.

"I don't think you'll have to do anything," Mini assured him. "He'll fill us in soon enough."

Sky, however, turned his attention to a couple of stray dead leaves that had been blown towards his feet. He squatted down, picking on up and inspecting it closely. Finally, he seemed to understand, and his lips curled into a small, proud smile.


	23. The Elder Brother

**The Hyrulian Valhalla Saga: Side Stories**  
><strong>By Queenie Z<strong>

_**The Elder Brother**_

Sky yawned as he stepped out onto his porch. Though he'd had a cup of coffee before he left the house, it would still take a while for it to completely kick in. He only had himself to blame for his grogginess, however; he had once again slept straight through the morning, only bothering to get out of bed just before noon. It was an embarrassing habit of his, he'd admitted, but it wasn't as though the dead Hero had any pressing responsibilities to wake up early for in this perfect, tranquil part of paradise.

He stretched his arms and legs as he pondered his plans for the day; or, rather, his lack thereof. The Zelda he knew wasn't around to do anything with, having made plans to spend time with her parents, and Groose was likely busy working on one of his ingeniously weird "projects"... Perhaps one of his fellow Heroes would be willing to help him kill some time, he thought, and he decided to stroll by the other houses to see if any of them were as bored as he was.

Because Mini's house was located closest to his, Sky decided to check there first. He walked up to the door, knocked, and waited for a reply; however, he never received one. After another knock with no answer, he frowned slightly in disappointment and began to wander back the way he came. He stopped, however, when he heard a series of _clangs_ coming from inside.

Of course, he thought with a slight smile, Mini never answered the door when he was working at the forge; it was a habit he said he had picked up from his grandfather. Curious as to what sort of cool project he was working on, Sky walked over to the window leading into the smithy attached to the main house and peered inside.

"Whoa, it's all chipping off!" exclaimed a voice Sky recognized as Green's, "Is it supposed to do that?"

Mini stopped his hammering and turned to his successor with a grin. "Yeah, that's how you make the pointed part of the blade!" He lifted the length of crude iron he'd been crafting and presented it. "See?"

Green then stepped into view, inspecting the metal carefully. "It doesn't look very sharp," he mused.

"Of course not," said Mini, "right now we're only making the shape of the blade; we'll sharpen it later on." Setting the iron back down on the anvil, he removed his gloves and handed them to Green. "Wanna try?"

Nodding, Green took the gloves, put them on, then took Mini's place by the anvil. He took the iron in his right hand and the mallet in his left, raising it over his shoulder.

"No, no, Green, don't hit it just yet!" cried Mini, laughing as he gently turned the younger Link around to face the forge. "You have to heat it up first, remember?"

"Oh, uh," Green stammered with a nervous grin, "yeah! Yeah, I remember..."

He held the unforged blade over the fire until it glowed, then returned it to the anvil. After Mini gave him the okay, he began to slowly and falteringly hammer the metal's pointed end.

"Good, good," said Mini, nodding in approval, "you're getting the hang of - "

Suddenly, a large chunk of iron came flying off, startling both Heroes and ruining the blade's pointed shape. After glancing at his predecessor, Green pouted and sat the mallet down on the anvil.

"Dammit," he swore, "and you make it look so easy, too...!"

"Hey, it's okay," Mini said as he laid a hand on Green's shoulder, "we can try again as many times as you need!" He reached for a bellows and handed it to Green. "Here, I'll show you how to keep the fire going."

As Green took the bellows and stoked the forge's flames at Mini's instruction, Sky couldn't help but chuckle a little at the sight. How nice it was for Mini to teach his successor like that... However, the two clearly were having enough fun on their own, so Sky did not feel the need to interrupt them during their time of bonding.

* * *

><p>Sky's next few stops proved to be fruitless as well; Time's house was completely empty, as were Wind's and Light's. After grunting to himself and scratching his head in another bout of disappointment, he made his way down towards Twilight's house - maybe if he was lucky, he'd let him come in and play with his cats or something. The place had a breathtaking view of the pasture where the realm's goats and cows grazed, so it was located at the edge of their little neighborhood and, consequently, a relative hike from where Sky's own house was located.<p>

When he eventually made it to the top of the hill overlooking Twilight's house, he paused, having spotted the younger Link sitting on his porch with his ancestor (so _that_ was where Time had run off to, thought Sky - though he ought to have guessed as much). He raised a hand to call out to the two; however, the sound of Twilight's loud Ordonian drawl interrupted him.

"...And so I said to him," said Twilight, barely containing his laughter as he spoke, "'my _wife_? No, no, I was talkin' about my _horse_'...!"

At that, both he and Time burst into raucous laughter. Both of them also had bottles of what Sky could easily recognize as Chateau Romani - it seemed that Time had brought some from his supply, and clearly they had been indulging themselves a bit. Amused, Sky lowered his arm and listened in on their drunken conversation.

Time snorted slightly as he tried to recover from his bout of laughter. "That was pretty funny," he snickered, "clearly you got that wit from _my_ side of the family!"

"Well," said Twilight with a cheeky grin, "better your wit than that big ol' nose of yours, I guess!"

The elder Link frowned slightly. "Hey!"

This caused Twilight to break into another bout of laughter. "You set yourself up for that one," he said, reaching into the ice box they'd set up and pulling out another bottle of Chateau Romani. He offered it to Time. "More milk?"

Accepting his little peace offering, Time uncorked the bottle and took a swig. Then, he sighed in satisfaction, slouching in his seat and smiling warmly at Twilight. "My successor the comedian," he said half-jokingly, "just one more thing I can be proud of you for."

His cheeks turning slightly pink - that is, more pink than they already were - and grimaced slightly. "Oh no, don't you start with that sappy stuff again..."

"It's not sappy if it's true!" Time sat down his drink. "You're smart and friendly and fun-loving, you became a good man and a wonderful Hero..." He sniffled slight, wiping a tear from his eye. "I'm so glad we're together again, Twilight, so I could tell you how proud I am...!"

Getting even more embarrassed at his teacher's sentimental blubbering, Twilight scowled. "_Goddesses_, Time, you're such a sap, I swear - "

Suddenly, Time stood from his seat and wrapped his arms around Twilight's stomach, lifting him effortlessly and crying messily into his tunic. Twilight shrieked in response, grabbing onto the sobbing Hero's wrists in an attempt to pry them off.

"What are you - let go of me, you big crybaby!"

Time payed no mind to his protests, however. "I just love you so _muuuuuuch_...!"

"That's it, _I ain't related to you anymore_!"

The scene of Time kept drunkenly crying over his beloved descendant as poor Twilight kept struggling in his embraced proved hysterical for Sky, and he was nearly in tears himself trying to suppress his laughter. He had always found it wonderful how close the two were; how much Time loved and cared for Twilight and how much Twilight admired Time in return. ...And yet...

Sky felt the laughter rumbling in his belly cease as he experienced a sudden, inexplicable twinge of sadness. Strange, he thought; he loved his successors, all of them, and normally he would have enjoyed watching them act so joyful and merry together. However, there was something about this particular instance that made him feel - jealous? Lonely? Both, perhaps?

Turning away from the house, he sighed a little; perhaps he was merely frustrated that most of his fellow Heroes seemed to have already found someone else to spend their day with. Dismissing his feelings as petty moodiness, we wandered back into the heart of the neighborhood to see if anyone else was free.

* * *

><p>When he reached the northernmost of the houses, he first checked Duo's house for any sign of an occupant, then Engie's. Neither seemed to be home - just his luck, he thought. As he left Engie's porch and circled around the back of the house, catching a glimpse of the train tracks located a short distance away and the silhouette of the train that had been parked there.<p>

Sky smiled to himself - Engie must have brought the train in for cleaning again, and he would surely be looking for someone to help him! He headed over to offer his assistance; however, as he got closer, he realized that Wind seemed to have already beat him to the punch. Stopping abruptly in his tracks, he watched as the two diligently washed the windows of the train's passenger car.

Engie stopped his washing for a moment, glancing over at the window his predecessor was working on. "You missed a spot," he said as he reached over with his rag to clean said spot.

Pouting slightly, Wind scoffed. "Geez, _sorry_," he said, returning to work once Engie returned to his own window. "I didn't know washing windows was such a big deal with you."

"H-Hey, I didn't mean it like that," replied Engie sheepishly, "I just want to keep my train looking good, you know?"

"You usually don't fuss over it _this_ much, though." Suddenly, Wind stopped, as if suddenly realizing something, then turned to Engie. "Wait, let me guess - your Zelda's coming over soon, isn't she?"

"Huh?" The Engie returned his gaze and blinked. "How'd you know?"

"Oh, come on, Engie," said Wind with a grin, "everybody knows she's the only one you'd worry about impressing this much!"

Turning slightly pink, Engie frowned deeply. "I'm not trying to _impress_ her! I just don't wanna be driving her around in a filthy train!"

"That still sounds to me like you're trying to impress her."

"I am _not_...!"

Wind snickered to himself, stepped off of his stool, and dunked his rag into a bucket of soapy water. "You just keep telling yourself that," he said sarcastically. Then, he gasped slightly as he felt Engie's rag land on his head with a _splat_.

Normally, Sky would have found their little spat to be somewhat endearing - however, as he watched the two continue their gentle bickering, he felt that same sadness in his gut that he'd felt over at Twilight's house. Try as he might, he still couldn't put his finger on what was causing his sudden melancholy, and that simply soured his mood even more. He sighed deeply, turning and walking away from the scene in a sulk before it could upset him even more.

* * *

><p>At this point, Sky had just about given up on finding anybody he could spend the afternoon with; but that wasn't at all what was causing his bad mood. This wasn't the first time he'd been stuck alone with nothing to do, and truth be told, he probably could have simply asked to join in on any one of his fellow Heroes' activities - and yet, he had chosen not to do so. Indeed, this moodiness wasn't like him at all, and it irritated him that he could suddenly feel so jealous and glum and not even know why.<p>

He shook his head and took off his hat, scratching an itch on his scalp as he walked before putting it back on. How embarrassing, he thought, to be acting so petty and sullen for no reason at -

His thoughts were interrupted when he came across a picnic table where Brown was sitting, holding his head in the palms of his hands and looking even gloomier than Sky himself felt. Behind him were Light and Duo, the latter of whom was holding a small parcel wrapped in cloth. Clearly, the newest Hero was upset about something, and his predecessors had taken it upon themselves to cheer him up.

"H-Hey, Brown," said Duo, "I know it's a little strange getting used to being here, and we know you've been feeling homesick lately."

Brown stayed silent, merely lifting his head slightly at the sound of his name.

"...So Light and I went out and got this for you." Duo gently sat the parcel down infront of him.

Surprised slightly as the sudden gift, Brown blinked. "Huh? ...What is it?"

"Open it up and see for yourself," said Light.

Curious, the younger Link unfolded the cloth to find a box, which he then emptied of its contents - a small loaf of bread wrapped in a napkin and a thermos, which he then opened to reveal a hot, golden chowder emitting a delicious, familiar scent. His eyes widening, he took a whiff of the chowder.

"No way," he said, turning towards Light with a shocked expression, "this is - "

"That corn chowder you loved so much," answered Light with a satisfied grin, "from the inn in Rauru Town."

Duo smiled warmly and nodded. "It took us a while, but we managed to find the inn's cook - she had passed on just a few years before you did." He chuckled. "She was more than happy to cook up a meal for the great Hero who saved Hyrule!"

"You guys," said Brown, his eyes beginning to swell slightly, "you went through all that trouble just to make me feel better...?"

"Hey, we're brothers now, right? That's what we're here for." Light leaned in, watching his successor eagerly. "Now are you going to eat it, or are you going to let it go cold?"

Brown turned back to his food, hesitantly unwrapping the bread and tearing a piece from it. He scooped up some of the chowder with the bread piece, then put it in his mouth. As he chewed, savoring the nostalgic, sweet and salty flavor, he was overcome by pleasant memories of Hyrule and all of the wonderful people he had met during his travels. Tears began beading at the corners of his eyes, and when he swallowed, he turned to his elder brothers with the biggest grin he could muster.

"It's just as good as I remember," he said, rubbing his face with his sleeve, "I-I don't know what to say...!"

"I don't know, 'thank you', maybe?" joked Light as he removed Brown's hat and placed a hand on his head.

"Okay, okay," laughed Brown, wincing a little at his touch. "Thanks, you guys."

As Sky watched Light's hand affectionately ruffle Brown's hair, his heart sank into the pit of his stomach. That gesture of comfort he'd shown his successor reminded him of a similar gesture he'd received not long before, a warm smile from a predecessor he never knew he had; and, finally, he began to realize what was causing that sadness he couldn't explain. He loved his fellow Heroes, his comrades-in-arm, his brothers, and he had been their eldest, their protector and confidant, since time immemorial. But now, he realized, he found himself longing for once to be the younger brother; to be loved and cared for by someone older and wiser, just as he had done for all of the other Heroes.

He missed that man - his own elder brother, the Hero before him who sacrificed his eternal rest for that of the ones who would inherit his spirit - and it was that longing that was at the root of his jealousy and heartache.

Shutting his eyes and lowering his head, he turned, headed for the road that would take him straight back to his own house.

* * *

><p>He tried to stifle the burning in his eyes as he approached his house, yet he could not distract himself from the overwhelming wave of loneliness that had engulfed him. Not since he realized that Fi would never join him in paradise had Sky felt such things - how could he, when he enjoyed the company of everyone else he had ever loved? - and the grief he felt for his predecessor was such that he almost wished the man had never bothered to visit them in the first place.<p>

He walked onto his porch and reached for the handle of his front door - perhaps he ought to simply go back to bed and hope his melancholy subsides. He stopped, however, when he saw that the nearby mailbox had its flag raised. Strange, he thought, the postman usually didn't come for another hour or so... curious, he went over to the mailbox, opened it, and pulled out a peculiar letter with no name on the envelope. He frowned deeply; how in the goddesses' name did such a letter wind up at his doorstep? He opened the envelope, unfolded the letter, and was shocked to see a salutation written in the ancient language of Skyloft - "_Beloved Incarnate_".

His mouth hung agape - no, it couldn't be... could it? He continued reading the latter.

_Beloved Incarnate,_

_I leave you this message in the hopes of quelling your sorrows. As you know, my place in the cycle of death and rebirth that is tied to the fate of our world leaves me with little time to spend with you all; in fact, I had not shown myself to you initially for fear of marring your happy eternities with inevitable goodbyes. For all of this, I deeply apologize, for it was never my intention to hurt or deceive any of you._

_Someday soon, I will be reborn once again as a new Hero. As a part of his soul, I will guide him and grant him the strength to fight. Then, when his time in Hyrule has ended, you all will welcome him with open arms, and I shall be there to greet him alongside you. Of this, you have my word - but you must remain strong in the meanwhile, for your own sake as well as your fellow Heroes'._

_Do not grieve for me, Sky; our parting is but a brief one in the grand scheme of history. Take care of the others in my stead, an wait for me with joy and gladness in your heart, for that is the ultimate gift your gods have blessed you with._

_Until we meet again._

The end of the letter was left unsigned, but Sky did not need a signature to know who it was from. The burning in his eyes became unbearable, and small tears began to roll down his cheeks. He shut his eyes, smiled, and returned the letter to its envelope.

"All right," he said with a small, tearful laugh, "I will."

Wiping his tears away with the back of his glove, Sky returned to the porch and entered the house, eager to find a safe place for his elder brother's words of hope and comfort.


	24. Trial of the Great Floodlands

**The Hyrulian Valhalla Saga: Side Stories**  
><strong>By Queenie Z<strong>

_**Trial of the Great Floodlands**_

He found himself standing in the middle of a vast and empty field; a place of silence and stillness enshrouded by the thick mists of time. The air was cold, causing his breath to fog and his hair to stand on end, and he could sense the familiar aura that enveloped the area - a distinct mixture of both peace and melancholy. Eventually, he spotted the unmistakable rooftops of Hyrule Castle out of the corner of his eye, and he allowed himself to smile somewhat sadly at the sight.

Indeed, the Hero of Time was no stranger to this place, nor to the idea of visiting it in his sleep. This was not the first time he had seen this realm, this limbo between the world of the living and paradise where he had spent many of his days as a phantom, appear in his dreams since he had moved on. It served as a reminder of a time of great loneliness and despair, a time he preferred not to dwell upon during his hard-earned rest - and yet, here it was, rising to the surface of his consciousness for reasons he couldn't quite explain.

With a sigh, Time shook his head. Why, he asked himself, must the darkness of his past always rear its ugly head when he least wanted it to?

"Because that darkness remains a part of you," echoed an ancient voice, "even in death."

Time lifted his head, unsurprised by the sight of his former self, his Shade, standing a short distance away with his back turned. The phantom held his hands in front of him, resting them on the hilt of his blade in a watchful and vigilant stance. His somber smile returning, Time tilted his head and loosely cross his arms.

"I had a feeling you'd show up in my dreams again," he said. "It's been a while."

The Shade nodded. "As long as your regrets continue to linger in your heart, so too shall my memory."

"But that's just it," said Time, "my regrets were laid to rest ages ago; I've long since found my peace."

"So you say." The Shade turned his head slightly to look back at his other self. "You claim to have found true and total peace... but have you really?"

At that, Time's face began to fall, and he let his hands drop back to his sides. "...I... that's..."

He froze as the phantom finally turned to face him, his monstrous form towering over his own. The Shade tightened his grip on his blade, then spoke with a menacing edge to his voice.

"Heed my warning, self," he bellowed, "a great evil awaits you in the floodlands of your paradise. It seeks to test you, to torment you, to break you - it seeks to take your pain, your doubts, and all of your suffering as its own!"

Time's eyes widened nervously at the other's words. "A great evil?" he asked, "But, how...?"

The Shade's gaze fell until a single red eye was looking directly into the bright blue ones of his true self; then, he continued. "Gather your courage and guard your heart," he said. "Do not let your resolve waver, lest you allow the evil to turn your pain into hatred." With that, the mist began to envelope the Shade until he disappeared from sight completely.

"Wait!" cried Time, stepping forward to try and stop the phantom, "What kind of evil are you - "

He froze in place, however, when he heard the sound of his feet hitting water. Looking down, he found that the thick mist covering the ground had become a clear, shallow pool. Then, he gasped in terror and realization - but he was too late to notice the blur of black and red descending upon his reflection.

* * *

><p>With a sharp breath, Time's eyes shot open, and he once again found himself in his own bed, his gaze fixed firmly on the ceiling. After taking a moment to gather his bearings, he sat up, stretching his arms before brushing his untied, matted blond hair away from his face.<p>

He took a glance out the window, noticing that the sun had not quite risen yet. He furrowed his brow in thought; in all of his years of existence, he had learned how to discriminate between his typical dreams and his prophecies, and this was undeniably an example of the latter. He thought of the warning the vision of his former self had given - a great evil which sought to break him - and, for a moment, he almost couldn't make sense of it. They were supposed to be safe here; evil could not normally enter this world... not unless...

Immediately, something clicked in Time's mind; he tossed away the covers and stormed out of bed. After rushing to dress himself, he marched over to the knight's sword and shield that leaned against the wall, took it, and headed straight for the door.

* * *

><p>He had debated telling the others about his dream before leaving; perhaps he would have been much wiser to do so. But if this evil was truly what Time thought it was, even his fellow Heroes would have been unable to help him face it. He had been there the first time the realm had been touched by dark magic, and he also knew that Twilight had experienced a similar phenomena. It had come for Sky, it had come for his descendant - and now, he knew, it had come for him.<p>

Of course, no one could say for certain what "it" was, although Sky seemed confident in his own theory. These strange events, he believed, were trials, sent by Farore herself in the form of shadow doppelgangers to ensure that Her chosen ones had not become weak-willed or complacent in death. Furthermore, he was certain that he and Twilight would not be the only ones to be tested; he had urged the rest of them to remain vigilant and to prepare themselves for their own impending trials. And that was exactly what Time had done - rather than simply wait for the trial to come to him, he had decided to go forward and face it, on his own terms.

He noticed that the path leading to the floodlands had become uncharacteristically foggy, and he worried that he would lose his way; he didn't exactly come this way often, after all. However, he did not allow his apprehension to stop him - he continued forward, squinting his eyes as the fog continued to thicken. Eventually, it became too thick to see much of anything, and he slowed his pace, looking around for _something_ to act as a landmark.

Soon enough, he spotted one; the silhouette of a single, dead tree appeared in the mists just a few yards away from him. Relieved, Time rushed over towards it, then stopped dead in his tracks the moment his feet hit water - unlike in his dream, he did not need to look down to know what was coming. His warrior's instincts taking over, he quickly drew his shield and spun around.

The resulting impact of a blade against his shield would have knocked Time over had he not braced himself, and with a grunt, he shoved his attacker away. While the other stumbled to regain his footing, Time stepped back, drawing his blade and taking a good look at his assailant.

"Nice try," he growled, "_shadow_."

The Dark Link adjusted his grip on his own sword and let out a curt, dry chuckle. "Well met," he said, "I see your sixth sense extends into battle, _Hero_."

"You could say that," said Time. He pointed his sword at the shadow. "I know why you're here - you've come to test me, just like the others, have you not?"

"You catch on quick," The Dark Link said. "Truth be told, I was sent here to simply speak with you," He removed his shield from his back and readied it, "but I have no intention of following _Her Golden Grace's_ orders."

Time shifted into a battle-ready stance. "And why is that?"

The shadow grinned, his features seeping pure and unadulterated malice. "Why would I ever waste a perfectly good opportunity to cut you down in battle?"

The Hero scoffed. "Good luck with that," he said. "You can't kill a dead man."

"_Precisely_," he sneered, raising his sword. "That will let it be all the easier to make you suffer endlessly...!"

He charged, attempting to skewer Time with his weapon, which the latter was able to effortlessly dodge with a sidestep. Then, Time countered with a swipe towards his opponent's sword arm. However, the creature proved to be just as nimble as his counterpart, and he maneuvered away with a sidestep of his own. The shadow then attacked again with a series of aggressive blows, each of which were blocked by Time's sword.

"You really have it in for me, don't you?" spat Time with a somewhat forced grin as he continued blocking the shadow's attacks, "I guess you didn't take your defeat in the Water Temple very well...!"

"Do I look like some petulant child to you?" replied the Dark Link, clashing blades with him once more and pushing on it with great force. "My quarrel with you runs much deeper than that, Hero."

Time grunted as he resisted the other's attack. "How so?"

"You are a _pawn_," growled the shadow, "a mindless servant, a spineless _lap dog_ of those wretched goddesses!" He shifted the weight of his blade to the tip of Time's, turning it downwards and giving him an opportunity to kick the Hero in the stomach. "You have allowed yourself to be _used_ by Them, _enslaved_ by Them as They've forced you to fight _Their_ battles!"

Time stumbled from the kick and just barely caught himself from falling to his knees. Though winded slightly, he quickly regained his composure. "That isn't how I see it," he said with a quick twirl of his weapon. "I'm honored to have been chosen as the Hero."

The creature's scowl grew. "They forced you to face unspeakable horrors and unimaginable suffering!"

"They gave me the chance to prove my courage!"

"They sent a _child_ to do a warrior's job!"

"A job _I accepted_ of my own free will!"

"They took all you had known away from you, and in the end They left you with _nothing_!"

"You're wrong," said Time, narrowing his eyes at his foe angrily, "They left me with more than enough - They gave me the strength to protect _everyone_...!"

Now it was Time's turn to charge, taking a running start before leaping over his opponent with a forward somersault, swiping at his head in the process. The shadow cried out in pain as the blade cut into his neck, falling forward as Time landed gracefully on his feet and turned. He watched as the doppelganger stumbled back to his feet.

"Stubborn _fool_," he said, tossing his shield aside and gripping the hilt of his sword with both hands, "Have you forgotten what They've allowed to become of you and your legacy...!?"

Time opened his mouth to respond - however, he suddenly noticed the telltale glow of the Dark Link's energy being channeled into his sword. Knowing all too well what he was planning, Time raised his shield, but even that failed to protect him from the shockwaves of the creature's Jump Strike. The blow knocked Time on his back and sent both his sword and shield flying into the water, and the shadow wasted no time pinning his arms down with his knees while he was still dazed. Finally, just as Time was beginning to comprehend what had happened, the Dark Link lifted his weapon and brought it down into the Hero's chest.

He let out a breathless cry as he felt the cold blade pierce his body; although the wound was bloodless and ultimately could not kill him, he could still very much feel the excruciating pain. He closed his eyes, gritting his teeth as the shadow spoke once again.

"Even when your role was over They made you suffer," he hissed. "They allowed the world to forget your deeds; They let you languish in thankless obscurity. And just when you thought you had finally achieved happiness in your work, in your wife, in your children - They took all of that away, too, leaving you to die alone with your regrets...!"

Time snarled, struggling to remove his arms from beneath the creature's knees; however, a sharp twist of the blade sent him into a fit of anguished screams before he could free himself. The shadow continued.

"And that isn't all - no, far from it - the Hyrule you saved, the history you fought so hard for... They made you watch as They washed it all away along with your legacy! That was how much your memory was _worth_ to Them!" He grinned sadistically as he drank in his counterpart's suffering. "You have so many reasons to detest the gods - so many, many reasons - even a man as righteous as you must have wanted to curse Their names."

"I..." choked Time, his face drenched with sweat as the pain became unbearable, "...I..."

"Go on!" laughed the Dark Link, "Curse Them! Let Them know the misery They put you through! Let everyone see the truth behind your mask of holiness and virtue - the true hatred of the Hero of Time...!"

Opening his eyes again, Time saw that the doppelganger had shifted his weight somewhat, allowing him to yank his left arm out. Then, with a shaky hand, he grabbed the black blade tightly and lifted his head, looking straight into the creature's glowing red eyes.

"I've heard enough," he growled laboriously, "of your miserable _nonsense_...!"

The Dark Link's eyes widened as Time struggled to remove the sword from his chest; first with one hand, then, after freeing his other arm, with both. He grunted as his strength finally overcame his shadow's, slowly pulling the blade out until it was removed entirely, leaving no trace of any sort of wound or scar. Finally, he lifted he leg, kicking the dumbstruck creature off of him and leaving his sword in his hands.

"It's true," he said as he rose to his feet, "I have suffered - I've suffered enough for many a lifetime - and you'd be a fool to think I've never once blamed the gods for it. But _I'm not like you_."

He approached the Dark Link, who now found himself paralyzed, helpless against the Hero's resolve. As he walked, the sword in his hands turned from darkest black to purest white, its blade teeming with holy light that evil beings reviled. He stopped in front of him, looking down at his pathetic form with a burning fire in his eyes.

"I know my pain was worth it," he said, "every day I spent as the Hero of Time, every battle I've had to fight, every moment of heartbreak I had to endure - if it was protect Hyrule, to protect Termina, to protect my friends, my loved ones, and everyone who would come after me, then it was _all_ worth it!"

At his words, the shadow's head jerked uncontrollably, and it lowered itself against his will, exposing the back of his neck. Then, Time lifted the sword high into the air.

"Tell your mistress that my belief has not wavered," he said, "and that I have nothing left to regret."

With that, he brought the blade down upon his foe, removing his head in one clean cut. Before the head could reach the water beneath them, it disappeared, along with the body and, finally, the sword in Time's hand. For moment, he simply stood, staring down at the space where his doppelganger once was in contemplative silence.

Suddenly, Time felt a drop of water hit his forehead; then another, then another, until he finally realized that it had started to rain. He looked up, startled to see that the fog had vanished in an instant, revealing the familiar trees and swamp plants that colored the floodlands. Relieved that the ordeal was over and satisfied that he had passed his trial, he removed his hat and lifted his face to the sky, allowing the water to wash away his weariness and the last of his regrets with a tranquil smile and a prayer of thanksgiving.


End file.
